Eater of the Dead
by Ladyhawke Legend
Summary: The team is asked to investigate a new Goa'uld System Lord on the rise. She is said to have strange creatures that live on human blood and Jaffa that cannot die. Will SG-1 be able to stop her or will they end up victims of her evil plans? Chapter 8 is up!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Stargate. That honor goes to MGM Home Entertainment and its affiliates. I'm only writing for my own enjoyment and hopefully the enjoyment of others. I'm not making any money off of this. My original characters are the only thing I claim as mine. No copyright infringement is meant. Thanks.**

**This is my first attempt at a Stargate fanfic. I have been a long time reader, but now I want to post some of my own. I have been writing Star Trek: Enterprise fic, but I love Stargate almost as much. Please read and review and let me know if this is any good. I set this story somewhere in the middle of like season five of the show. It's before Daniel "ascended" or "died" or "whatever". I went old school with using the Goa'uld as the main bad guys again. I like the Ori plotline, but nothing beats the original bad guys, and I love Jack O'Neill. Mitchell is great, but he's not Jack either. I started writing this story for some friends that hadn't really seen a lot of the show, so it's still kind of geared for any and all who read it, not just avid watchers of the show. I really would like feedback. I have been bad about leaving reviews for Stargate authors, so I will repent and start leaving reviews for others. I can't expect to get with giving too. Thanks.**

**Thanks also to my beta, RadcliffePotter. I couldn't post without her.**

**Chapter 1**

Something was very wrong. That something teased at the edge of his consciousness, not quite real to him yet. He knew he was cold. He knew that darkness surrounded him, like some thick, black veil. His mind refused to bring anything around him into focus. He willed himself to breathe. Pain flooded up into his brain as he did so. Slowly, he began to realize that his body was racked with agony. His head pounded and throbbed. He felt sharp jabs, like tiny needles running up and down his arms and legs. Where was he? What had happened? He desperately tried to remember.

The next sensation that he felt was the solid firmness of stone beneath him. His brain laboriously tried to feed him information about his environment. His ears picked up the sound of dripping water. The air smelled musty, putrid, and vile. Pain exploded through his rib cage as he tried to take a deeper breath. Nausea began to build in the nether regions of his stomach. Again, more questions came to him. Where was he and what had happened to him?

He could not get his languid mind to fully process. Everything wasn't coming together fast enough. It seemed to take triple the time to do everything. Suddenly a feeling of pure, unadulterated fear struck him. Some primal instinct built for self-preservation screamed at him that he was in immediate danger. He had the utterly terrifying sensation that some sinister presence was watching him. Something lurked just outside his conscious mind's ability to identify and classify it. Then his ears heard an ominous sound that corroborated with what his primal instinct was trying to tell him. A deep and guttural growl methodically moved over him. He now understood that he was not alone.

The essence of the growl was completely animalistic. His foggy brain recognized the fact that nothing human could make a sound that savage. Waves of panic started to short out what little cognitive thought he was beginning to have. His pulse quickened to an urgent gallop, as adrenaline flowed through him. The growl grew louder and more insistent. At that moment, Dr. Daniel Jackson knew that death had found him.

* * *

**Thirty-Six Hours Earlier**

Colonel Jack O'Neill of the United States Air Force looked from his commanding officer, General George Hammond, to his colleague, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and back again. "You've got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed with a shake of his salt and pepper colored hair. Major Samantha Carter couldn't help the small smile that came to her face at O'Neill's outburst. Her liquid blue eyes shone brightly as she tried to hide her mirth. "Can't they check out this 'rumor' for themselves?" O'Neill added in disgust. As he said "rumor", he made the universal symbol for quotation marks with his fingers, to emphasize his point.

"No Colonel, they can't." General Hammond took his subordinate's rant with a great deal of patience. He understood O'Neill's intense dislike of the race of beings known as the Tok'ra. He didn't like them much himself in fact. They were technically allies of the planet Earth, but sometimes they caused more trouble than their help was worth.

The Tok'ra were aliens who relied upon the symbiotic relationship with another life form to survive. Their symbiotic alien's actual form was much like that of an eel with something that looked like the gill covers of a male beta fish sticking out from its neck. O'Neill liked to compare the Tok'ra's appearance to that of a "snake." The Tok'ra used humans as hosts. The human body provided them with a happy home and the symbiote would provide its host with added health and increased healing ability, leading to a much longer life span.

O'Neill realized the fact that the Tok'ra were different from Earth's sworn enemy, the Goa'uld, but not by much. Now those guys were nasty. They acted more like a parasite who takes over its host and enslaves it. When a Goa'uld took a host, most, if not all, of the host's personality would be lost to the influence of the Goa'uld living inside. O'Neill shuddered at the thought of a "snake" controlling his every action, his every thought.

The Goa'uld took great pleasure in fostering the notion that they were gods. They had highly advanced technology and knew how to put on a fancy light show, to help them instill their godlike image. They had also taken the bits and pieces of Earth mythology, especially Egyptian mythology, that they liked and used it to enhance their air of authority and power. They desired nothing more than to be worshiped and served by the races they conquered and subjugated. They did this through fear and force.

Eventually, it took more than a few parlor tricks and their superior technology to fool the people of Earth for very long. The people of Earth had said that enough was enough of all the bowing down and paying homage. They brought an end to the cruel and sadistic reign of the Goa'uld by rebelling against them and forcing them to leave. Now thousands of years later, the Goa'uld were once again a threat to Earth and its people were not going to take that threat lying down. Earth wanted to put the Goa'uld in their place and stop their evil from spreading.

The Tok'ra were basically an off-shoot of the Goa'uld. However, they wanted to put an end to Goa'uld tyranny and free those under the Goa'uld's oppression. The Tok'ra took only those who were willing to live with a symbiote. They had sworn not to force themselves on any being. They claimed to live in peace and harmony with their host. The two separate personalities lived in the same body, but both could assert themselves when desired. This made the Tok'ra allies with Earth, but it didn't always seem like a fair alliance to O'Neill.

O'Neill had witnessed the Tok'ra break their oath to never take an unwilling host on several occasions. He reflected that those instances had been of an extreme and possibly necessary nature. They were the exception more than the rule, but a "snake" was a snake as far as O'Neill was concerned. He really resented doing the Tok'ra any kind of favor. They continually used Earth and its resources without a whole lot in return. Allies usually shared burdens, but it seemed like the Tok'ra dumped a lot more on Earth than they took on themselves. Earth never seemed to get much out of the arrangement. At least that was how O'Neill viewed the situation.

"Well, why can't they?" O'Neill blurted out, obviously angry.

General Hammond let out a long, tired sigh and ran a hand over his bald head and down his face. "Because, the last attack by Anubis on their base has left them with very little resources and very little personnel. They need our help." Anubis was a particularly powerful and dangerous Goa'uld. Anubis had acquired technology that far surpassed what the rest of the Goa'uld currently possessed. This fact greatly disturbed both the people of Earth and the Tok'ra. Anubis could not only rein havoc on Earth if he chose, but he could also inflict heavy damage on the Tok'ra and Earth's other allies.

"When don't they," O'Neill said under his breath, then to Hammond, "I understand that, sir, but it all seems a bit far-fetched, if you ask me."

"Well, Jack, not really," came Dr. Daniel Jackson's reply as he pushed his perpetually sliding glasses back into place on the bridge of his nose. "If this rumor turns out to have any truth to it, we have a problem."

"I concur with Daniel Jackson's assessment of the situation," a large, dark-skinned man named Teal'c, spoke up. His voice was low and deep. Even though it was also calm, it held a hint of authority as well. Teal'c had at one time been in the service of a powerful Goa'uld named Apophis. He was a Jaffa. They were a part of the Goa'uld's military might and holders of the larval form of the Goa'uld symbiote. Until a Goa'uld symbiote was mature enough to take a host, the Jaffa's body sustained it. Teal'c had rebelled against Apophis when he came to realize Apophis was a false god. He wanted to free his people from their slavery and also to help the people of Earth, whom he knew as the Tau'ri.

"Oh T, you always take his side," O'Neill complained, half joking. He received a raised eyebrow from the serious looking Jaffa.

Sam Carter remained quiet throughout the exchange, sympathizing with both sides. Her father, Jacob Carter, had been dying of cancer and had willingly given himself over to be a Tok'ra host. He gained a reprieve from his cancer and his symbiote, Selmac, got his happy home. The Tok'ra had saved her dad's life, but they had also caused her a lot of pain. She had once been taken over by a Tok'ra symbiote, unwillingly. Jolinar had wanted to use Sam's body temporarily to stay alive and get important information to the rest of her people. In the end she ended up sacrificing her life for Sam's. Still, it was not a pleasant experience for Carter.

Daniel jumped in again, trying to get O'Neill to see the facts. "If there really is a Goa'uld out there going by the name Ammut and she is amassing a large amount of naquadah, we need to know." Naquadah was the mineral that made up the building blocks of all the Goa'uld technology, from their ships to their weapons, and even to the devices they used to travel between worlds almost instantaneously, the Stargates. The Goa'uld also had naquadah in their blood that allowed them to control and use certain pieces of their technology.

"What's so darn special about her?" O'Neill asked, clearly irritated. "A Goa'uld's a Goa'uld. They're all bad."

"Ammut means 'The Dead Devourer' or 'Dead Swallower'," Daniel began and continued on at O'Neill's blank stare. "According to Egyptian mythology, she was a demon in the Underworld with the head of a crocodile, the body of a leopard or lion, and the backside of a hippopotamus."

"That is one ugly Goa'uld," O'Neill quipped, raising Daniel's ire.

"It's called symbolism, Jack," Daniel said dryly, and went on. "All of those animals were considered man-eaters by the ancient Egyptians. They were fierce creatures the ancient Egyptians feared."

"Okay. So what does that mean?" O'Neill wanted to get to the point.

"She was a dweller in the netherworld who waited by the scales of judgment to consume the souls of those who were found to be sinful in some way," Daniel explained.

"So, she ate the bad guys," O'Neill interrupted, leaning forward in his chair at the briefing room table.

"Uh, yeah, but she wasn't worshiped, and she was never regarded as a goddess by the ancient Egyptians. They feared her, Jack. She was the monster that parents told their kids would get them if they didn't behave. She was a demoness of punishment. She was also regarded as a protector of '_Osiris_' because of her position at judgment," Daniel finished, emphasizing Osiris' name as he spoke.

A light flickered in O'Neill's dark brown eyes, understanding finally sinking in. "She was a punisher for Osiris," he said all business-like now. Osiris was another Goa'uld that had proven to be very deadly. He and his queen, Isis had been banished by another Goa'uld named Setesh, kept without a host, in stasis. The ship transporting them had crashed on Earth, burying them deep underground. Some archeologists had stumbled upon their "tomb" and Osiris eventually gained his freedom. Unfortunately, he took an old friend of Daniel's, Sarah Gardner, as a host. Isis' stasis did not hold and she died. Osiris had then decided to team up with Anubis and was helping him in his quest to conquer the galaxy.

"Yes, and you can imagine how the Goa'uld have taken and twisted Ammut's myth to suit their nefarious purposes." Daniel was glad to have the Colonel's full attention at last.

"Teal'c, have you ever heard of Ammut among the System Lords?" Carter finally spoke.

Teal'c nodded towards Carter. "Indeed, but only in passing. She was said to have been the Punisher of the Gods. If a Jaffa or human servant failed to meet their master's requirements or if they turned on their god, they were sent to Ammut for punishment," Teal'c paused.

"There's more, isn't there?" Carter prompted Teal'c to continue.

"She loved the slaughter of her victims. Her appetite for torture and barbarity seemed to know no bounds. She developed her techniques and began using them on other Goa'uld. Her ferocity frightened many of the System Lords, including Ra and Apophis. Ammut became a threat even to the System Lords." Teal'c's voice never changed its low, deep, calm. The System Lords were particularly powerful and influential, much like the stature of kings or queens, among the Goa'uld. They commanded great armies and controlled vast empires.

"What happened to her?" General Hammond wanted to know.

"As stories spread that she had created strange creatures that were not good as hosts, but could rip her enemies and victims apart, and that she had Jaffa that could not die, the System Lords came together to destroy her," Teal'c explained. "They did not destroy her, however. In the end, they forced her to leave their territory, never to return, under the promise that if she came back she would face total destruction."

"Why didn't they just eliminate her at the time?" O'Neill asked as he tapped his fingers on the briefing room table. "Seems to me they could have saved themselves a whole lota of grief."

"I do not know, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "Her story has been handed down through the ranks of the Jaffa for many years. It happened long before I came into Apophis' service."

"Sounds a lot like what happened with Anubis," Daniel interjected. "He was too powerful to destroy, even with the combined forces of the System Lords. Exile was the best they could hope for."

"Look what was done to Osiris and Isis," Carter pointed out. "They were removed from their hosts, put in stasis, and placed in canopic jars. They weren't destroyed either."

"Yeah, but that was inbred fighting with Setesh, not all the System Lords together," Daniel said.

"True, but for some strange reason the Goa'uld like to banish rather than take one of their own down," Carter replied.

"Maybe it is their sick way of stickin' it to the man," O'Neill broke in. "You can't cause a dead man pain. If you enemy is still around, there is always the chance of hurting them just one more time."

Daniel took a deep breath before he spoke again, voicing a concern all at the meeting had. "We know that Osiris has teamed up with Anubis. What if this Ammut has decided to get back into the game by joining him too?"

"Or she could have increased her power enough to be a threat all by herself." Carter threw out this thought gravely.

"Either way, we definitely need more information," Daniel responded twirling his pen in his hand absent-mindedly.

"What do the Tok'ra actually know?" O'Neill didn't bother to keep the disdain out of his voice.

General Hammond opened the green document file folder in front of him as he answered. "According to their intelligence, the Tok'ra have learned that Ammut has indeed returned from exile. She has a base on P5X-645, also called Aaru by the Tok'ra - - - -."

"Aaru is one of the ancient Egyptian names for the Underworld," Daniel interjected.

"Lovely," O'Neill whispered sarcastically.

General Hammond continued on, ignoring the brief interruptions. "The Tok'ra have also discovered that she has enslaved the entire population of the planet, about sixty million people, to mine naquadah for her." He flipped through a few pages of his file and then spoke again. "She appears to be trying to develop some kind of new weapon. Her Jaffa army is small, but she is somehow compelling many of the previously rebel Jaffa to join her. This is steadily helping her military force to grow."

"What kind of weapon are we talking about here?" O'Neill wondered aloud.

"I would also like to know what would compel a 'free' Jaffa to join her," Teal'c asserted himself by only using his voice.

"Something that requires a large amount of naquadah," the General replied to O'Neill, referring again to the document in his hands, and then to Teal'c, "I find that a troubling account too, Teal'c. The Tok'ra have no further information as to how she is convincing them into joining her."

"Don't the Tok'ra have any details? That's kinda vague, don'tcha think?" O'Neill responded, raising his eyebrows meaningfully.

"No, they don't Colonel," Hammond said. "That is why the Tok'ra have asked us to gather as much Intel as possible. I want SG-1 to do this. That's the reason I called this briefing. It needs to be done quickly, quietly, and thoroughly."

"But we can't just 'gate' there", Carter put in. "If Ammut is rallying troops and removing naquadah, she will have her gate heavily and substantially guarded."

"Good call," O'Neill smiled at her and slapped the table. "She's right, General. We need to find another way in. One that won't attract too much unwanted attention."

"A Tel'tak might go unnoticed," Teal'c suggested.

"Especially if we could use one with a stealth device," Carter added.

"Since the Tok'ra are asking us to do this for them, I don't think it would be asking too much from them to help us obtain a Tel'tak cargo ship," O'Neill told his commanding officer.

Hammond smiled warmly at his people and let them in on his secret. "It just so happens that the Tok'ra had the same thought. They are on their way with one as we speak. They should arrive with it within the next five hours."

"Well, whatda know," O'Neill whistled. "It about damn time they gave us a ship."

"I want you prepped and ready to go by 1800 hours," Hammond ordered.

"Yes sir," O'Neill and Carter said at the same time while Daniel and Teal'c nodded their assent.

"Go over what the Tok'ra have provided us thus far and plan accordingly. Dismissed." Hammond closed his file.

"Thank you, sir." O'Neill stood as the General stood.

As Hammond took his leave, Daniel said, "I'd really like to do a little bit more research on the demoness Ammut from Egyptian history, and pick Teal'c's brain a little more too."

"I don't know Daniel, that might be dangerous," O'Neill quipped as he slapped Daniel on the back.

"Doing research?" Daniel asked surprised and confused.

"No. Picking Teal'c's brain." O'Neill dead panned.

Teal'c merely tilted his head and raised an eyebrow as O'Neill, Carter, and Daniel shared a short laugh.

TBC

**So what do you think? Is it any good? How did I do with the characters? Let me know and I will be forever in your gratitude. One or two sentences would be just great.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Stargate. That honor goes to MGM Home Entertainment and its affiliates. I'm only writing for my own enjoyment and hopefully the enjoyment of others. I'm not making any money off of this. My original characters are the only thing I claim as mine. No copyright infringement is meant. Thanks.**

**Again, please read and review. I like how Daniel's character has evolved over the course of the series, but it is fun to revisit he and Jack's friendship earlier on. I still kind of like the more shy and less confident Daniel a little. I also love all things mythological and it kind of comes out in this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Thanks to my beta RadcliffePotter. She's an angel.**

**Chapter 2**

"So whatcha kids up to?" O'Neill asked as he brought his lunch tray over to join Daniel and Teal'c in the mess hall of the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center. It was a United States Air Force's military base located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was the home of the famous NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) defense system. Deep inside the mountain was an old nuclear missile silo that had been converted into the secret Stargate Command or SGC for short. Here the Stargate was kept and used to travel to distant planets across the galaxy.

"Teal'c was telling me some more of the details from the stories he has heard about our demon friend," Daniel informed O'Neill around a mouthful of meatloaf.

"You mean scary, campfire type stories?" O'Neill joked as he sat down.

"More like late night, blood and gore horror movie type stories," Daniel said in return.

"Oh, do tell," O'Neill prompted his dark eyes glittering with amusement.

"Do you want to tell him, or should I?" Daniel asked Teal'c.

"You may convey my knowledge to O'Neill," Teal'c said as he stood. "I must go to perform Kelno'reem." Kelno'reem was the Jaffa's way of meditating, but it was much more than a relaxation technique for the Jaffa. It was a way to let the symbiote repair any injury or cure any illness that a Jaffa had. The Jaffa had no immune system. The symbiotes were what kept them healthy and fit. Kelno'reem was also the way the Jaffa got the rest they needed.

"Bye, big buy," O'Neill waved at Teal'c's retreating form. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Daniel sighed. "I don't think Teal'c really likes talking about Ammut. I think the stories bother him more than he lets on."

"Really?" O'Neill was quite surprised. Nothing seemed to bother the rebel warrior much.

"Well, yeah," Daniel elaborated. "Ammut sounds like a real fiend, but Teal'c isn't sure how much of what he's heard is true because the stories have been told and retold down through the ages so many times."

"Ya think some parts could have been embellished along the way?" O'Neill asked buttering a roll.

"Probably." Daniel thought about it for a minute. "In ancient Egyptian mythology Ammut ate your soul and damned you for all eternity to suffer endless pain and torment. That's why they feared her. It's real fire and brimstone stuff. She would bring people's worst nightmares to life if they were found unworthy or were guilty of some crime."

"Yeah, I can see how that would be a big turn off," O'Neill remarked as he bit into the roll.

"The Goa'uld using Ammut's myth seems to live up to the ancient Egyptian's fears, if the stories are true," Daniel explained. "The biggest mystery is the monstrosities she created to aid in her torturing. Plus, there are the stories about her Jaffa that couldn't be killed that puzzle me."

"What were these monster thingies?" O'Neill asked as he began to dig into his meatloaf.

Daniel hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure how to explain what Teal'c had told him and have O'Neill take it seriously. Hell, _he_ was still trying to take it seriously. One thing Daniel had learned working at the SGC was that nothing was beyond the realm of possibility. He finally decided to share his theory with O'Neill. "Well, from what I can gather from Teal'c is that these creatures drained their victim's blood, tore their bodies to apart, and sometimes ate them." Daniel smiled, just a little upturn of his lips, as O'Neill choked a little on his meatloaf. "Does that sound like anything familiar to you?"

O'Neill grabbed his napkin, embarrassed to be drooling food as he tried to recover from choking. He looked at Daniel. His look was one of disbelief as he caught on to where Daniel was going with this story. "What, like a vampire? Are you talking about freakin' Dracula?" O'Neill whispered, so the other airmen wouldn't hear what he said.

"It makes some sense, if you look at the whole picture," Daniel said. "Every culture on Earth has some reference to a vampire like creature in their mythologies. The question is, did Ammut start these legends or was she inspired by them to actually go out and create one?"

O'Neill just stared at Daniel. Then he just blinked very rapidly at him. "You mean like genetically or something?" he finally asked.

"Exactly." Daniel was pleased that O'Neill was following his train of thought. "What if Ammut really did bring to life some kind of vampire like creature to do her bidding?"

O'Neill first response was, "That would be very, very… bad." Then he realized how crazy it sounded. "This is just a theory of yours Daniel, right? You don't really think that she has guys in black cloaks with funny accents running around do you?" O'Neill tried to eat a fork full of salad, but it had lost most of its taste.

"Forget what our modern day society has done to the myth." Daniel really wanted his friend to take him seriously. "In some Earth cultures the vampire doesn't even take on human form; it comes in every form imaginable."

"Okay. Give me some examples." O'Neill knew he was going to regret asking as soon as the words came out of his mouth, but he couldn't help it. He should know better than to get Daniel started on one of his kicks, but Daniel had piqued his interest. Besides, Daniel was an expert on all things dealing with anthropology and archeology.

Daniel switched into his encyclopedia mode. "Well, take the Asasabonsam from West Africa. These vampiric like creatures hide in trees, attack, and kill anyone who walks underneath them. They kill by draining their victim's blood. Then there's the Loogaroo from Haiti. It removes its skin each night and flies off in search of its victims in the form of a sulfurous ball. There is also the Dakhanavar from Armenia. This mountain spirit attacks travelers at night, sucking their blood from the soles of their feet as they sleep. The aboriginal culture in Australia talks about the Yara-Ma-Yha-Who. This vampire like creature has the appearance of a four-foot tall red man with an exceptionally large head and mouth. It has no teeth, so it swallows its food whole and uses suckers on the end of its toes and fingers to drain its victim's blood. In India, they speak of the Brahmaparush who devours its victims completely, starting by drinking blood from a hole in its victim's skull ----."

"Enough! Enough!" O'Neill cried, causing a few airmen to stare at him. He pushed his food away from him. "I think I get the point." His stomach was also getting the point.

"Sorry, Jack", Daniel said apologetically and he smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to get so carried away, but you did ask."

"Yeah, I did, that was my mistake," O'Neill conceded. "But did you have to be so damn graphic?" O'Neill shook his head trying to hide his own smile. He loved to give Daniel a bad time. The poor archeologist fell for it every time. Besides he had to get him back for ruining his appetite.

"I was only repeating what I'd read," Daniel replied. He was worried he had gone a little too far with his explanations. He just wanted to back up his theory with as many examples as possible. When Daniel Jackson was on a roll, it was hard to stop him.

"You really think that Ammut was able to generate something out of these myths?" O'Neill was back to business.

"Oh God, I hope not," Daniel told him.

"I guess we'll get to find out in a few hours from now how true your theory is," O'Neill said ominously.

"Theories," Daniel corrected him.

"What?" O'Neill was taken a back.

"You haven't heard my other one yet," Daniel said cautiously.

"What other one?" O'Neill leaned forward, pretending to have a little bit of anger in his voice. What would Daniel come up with next?

"My theory about why Ammut had Jaffa that couldn't die," Daniel tried to look innocent at O'Neill, his blue eyes wide.

"Go on." O'Neill acted like he was getting impatient again.

Daniel hesitated again. He could tell that O'Neill was upset and he didn't want to raise the Colonel's ire. So many people in Daniel's academia had mocked and ridiculed him because he had theorized that aliens had something to do with the pyramids. Daniel had turned out to be right, but unfortunately he couldn't rub it in any of his archaeological colleagues' faces because it was part of some highly classified information. O'Neill and he had clashed when they first met. They both had gained respect for each other over the past few years and Daniel didn't want to lose that. He finally whispered, "I think Ammut was trying to make them into zombies."

O'Neill just froze. He looked at Daniel as Daniel looked at the floor. "Did I just enter the 'Twilight Zone', Danny boy? Because it sure feels like it. Where in the world did that theory come from?" Again his voice sounded angry, but he wasn't. He was actually fascinated.

"Teal'c," Daniel managed to say, his voice weak. "He mentioned that Ammut's Jaffa had eyes that were glazed over. That they would attack in a frenzy and no amount of staff blasts would slow them down. Some would fall, only to get right back up again and continue attacking. Some of the Jaffa Teal'c heard the stories from claimed that Ammut had trapped her Jaffa's souls and was forcing them to do her will."

"And you believe all that?" O'Neill asked trying to sound a little less harsh.

"I don't know, Jack," Daniel sighed. "I'm sure there is some scientific explanation for what the Jaffa claimed to have seen, but again Earth mythology has some factual support for it."

"Such as?" O'Neill asked.

"In Haiti, the people who practice voodoo use neurotoxins and other chemicals to paralyze their victims and make it appear like they have died. In actuality the victim is still very much alive, but their heart rate and breathing is so slowed down so much that they seem dead. Then they're buried. The voodoo priest comes and digs up their victim and administers an antidote. Depending on how long the victim had been buried and how much antidote is given determines how much control the voodoo priest has over the victim. Sometimes the victim doesn't know much about whom they are and the voodoo priest can brainwash them into doing their bidding," Daniel went into encyclopedia mode again. He felt safe there.

"Or the evil bastard blackmails them into doing what he wants threatening to simulate death all over again," O'Neill added. He had heard stories from some of the Special Forces guys he had served with. The ones who had done a tour in many of the Central American countries had some strange tales to tell.

"Right," was all Daniel said. He looked at O'Neill expectantly.

"Okay, so maybe there really is something to you theories," O'Neill said.

"Really?" Daniel let out the breath he had been holding.

"Look, you know about all the cultural stuff. I trust that. You should know that by now. And way to go standing up for yourself, Danny!" O'Neill said and stood to go dump his tray.

"What?" Daniel replied to O'Neill last comment.

"You are sure a lot harder to intimidate than you use to be." O'Neill slapped him on the shoulder.

"You mean you were just giving me a bad time?" Now it's was Daniel's turn to sound a little angry.

"Yes, Daniel." O'Neill walked to the trash. "You still take yourself way too seriously sometimes, but you're getting better."

"Gee, thanks Jack," Daniel said sarcastically as he too dumped his trash.

O'Neill turned to face him. "You're welcome. Someone has to challenge you once in while. I can't have you getting too big for your britches. That's what friends are for."

Daniel and O'Neill started their way out of the mess hall and down a corridor. Daniel allowed O'Neill to get a little a head of him. "With friends like him who needs enemies," Daniel joked to himself.

"I heard that," O'Neill commented from a ways down the hall.

Daniel smiled in spite of himself and hurried to catch up.

* * *

Samantha Carter took another look through her gear to make sure it was all there. The Tok'ra had dropped off the Tel'tak about a half an hour ago. It had the ability to cloak itself and be undetectable to any Earth satellite or other monitoring device. They had parked it a few miles away, just inside the base's boundaries in a mountain pass. A Tel'tak was a Goa'uld cargo ship. It was also used as a scout ship because of its small size. It was divided into two sections: the flight deck and the cargo area. The flight deck had two captain's chairs with control consoles and a large control platform between the chairs. The cargo area was a big, wide open space. It was fully equipped with four escape pods, transportation rings, and of course, the stealth-cloaking device. 

O'Neill stepped into her office. "About ready?" he asked.

"Yes sir," she replied. "I'm just double checking my gear."

"Good," he said. He lingered in the doorway, silent.

Carter looked up from her preparations. "Something on your mind, sir?'

"Has Daniel told you about his latest theories?" he replied as he walked into the office.

"You mean the ones about Ammut and her creatures?" she asked smiling at the way he was trying to get her opinion without looking like he was trying to get her opinion.

"Those'd be the ones," he said in a supposedly noninterested voice with his hands in his pockets.

"I'm a little skeptical about all the mysticism, but we have seen some pretty unbelievable things in our travels." Carter finished fastening her backpack. They didn't really know how long this mission was going to take, so she had brought a little of everything.

"True, like the time we body swapped. Or when those Tok'ra armbands made us superhuman. Or the time that I had all that Ancient knowledge downloaded into my brain. Or like those creatures that had those mimic devices to impersonate us." He stopped, realizing he was ranting. "But is this other stuff even scientifically possible?" O'Neill wanted to know.

Carter thought for a moment, her blond brows furrowed. "My specialty is Physics, not Biology, sir. Janet would probably be able to give you a better explanation than I could, but I'd have to say yes given what we know Nirrti can do." Dr. Janet Fraiser was the SGC's top medical doctor. She had the distinct pleasure of treating all the alien bugs that the teams going through the Stargate brought back with them, as well as all the other the nasty injuries they received off world. Nirrti was another Goa'uld system lord. She genetically experimented on humans to try and create a hok'taur, or advanced human. She wanted a superhuman host to bring her more power.

O'Neill took his hands out of his pockets and pointed at Carter. "I'm not asking Dr. Fraiser, Carter. I'm asking you."

"Well, then my best guess, sir, would be that such a creature as a vampire would have to have something wrong with its ability to make or sustain hemoglobin in their own blood," Carter said matter-of-factly.

At O'Neill's blank stare she elaborated. "Hemoglobin is a protein that's carried by your red blood cells. It picks up oxygen in the lungs and delivers it to the rest of your body's tissue. This is what keeps us alive. Hemoglobin is actually a molecule made up of two smaller units, or chains, called alpha and beta proteins. Both smaller proteins must be present for the hemoglobin to be able to pick up oxygen and transport it around your body."

O'Neill understood a few words. "And?' he asked.

"If there is a mutation, or the amounts of proteins that make up the hemoglobin molecule are either too low or too high, you get diseases like anemia or sickle cell anemia. Your body's tissues don't get enough oxygen to function. The results can vary from feeling tired all the time to death," Carter explained.

"So, in the case of our vampire creatures they have hemoglobin problems that bring on anemia?" O'Neill was with Carter half way.

"In some sense yes, but in a vampire's case I'd say that they have some other mutation that allows them to use the blood of others to sustain them. Somehow they can convert another being's blood to use as their own. This allows oxygen to circulate throughout their body and so they have life. That's why they have to feed every day. Each day the hemoglobin would break down and they would need a fresh supply again or they would die," Carter finished.

O'Neill smiled. "See, you knew more than you thought you did."

"I guess I did." She smiled back.

Daniel and Teal'c appeared in the doorway. "We ready?" Daniel asked cautiously, afraid he was interrupting something.

"Yup," O'Neill replied turning to him. "Let's go campers."

TBC

**Please let me know how I'm doing. I'm really new at this and I value feedback. It takes only a little time to leave your comments. Thanks:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em and I'm not making any money of 'em. I'm just having fun with the characters. MGM owns them.**

**A/N: I'm soooo sorry that I haven't updated this story in like forever. Other stories kept getting in the way and my real life kind of took over for a while. I hope there are a few readers out there that remember this story. If you need to go back and browse the first two chapters please do. Again, this story would mostly likely take place like in the beginning or middle of season five. I'm going back to the basics. I'm going to try and work on this story more; it is fun and there is much more story to tell. Please read and review!! Let me know what you think. I have only written a few stories for another series and want to know if I'm any good at SG-1. This chapter deals with the culture and world that SG-1's simple recon mission sends them to. Hope you like it.**

**Mega thanks to a new, wonderful, and very helpful beta reader LadyRainbow. She rocks!!**

**Chapter 3**

As they wound their way through the maze of corridors to the elevator, Daniel had another question. "So, what _is _our actual plan here? We can't just walk in and introduce ourselves."

They had formed themselves into two groups of two; O'Neill and Teal'C in the front, with Carter and Daniel in the rear. O'Neill talked as he adjusted his ball cap-styled hat and made sure he had his sunglasses. "We take the cargo ship to Aaru under cloak, and put her down some where away from Ammut's main base of operations. Then we do a basic recon. We need to get as close to Ammut's palace or ship or whatever she is using as her base and see what she's got going on. Check out her forces, her technology, her experiments, etc."

Teal'C had decided to go old school Jaffa on them. In other words, he had put on his old Jaffa armor that he had worn in the service of Apophis. He had on a layer of chain mail over a plain black cloth material. On top of that was the armored breastplate that extended down his arms and also covered the Egyptian-styled kilt he had on. Down his legs, he had armor that fitted on like shin guards over combat-type boots. In his right hand he carried his Jaffa staff weapon. It was at least four to six feet in length, with an oval shape at its head. When ready to fire the head opened, dividing into four parts to release a discharge of plasma energy that could burn a hole right through a human body.

Teal'C thought that he would be able to blend in with the other Jaffa and gain some useful information, since most of Ammut's Jaffa were the scattered remnants of other Goa'uld's Jaffa armies. Hopefully, no one would question his golden serpent in a circle that was embossed upon his forehead. It was the symbol that he had been Apophis' First Prime, his top lieutenant. "It would be helpful to question some of the people Ammut has enslaved, as well," he put in.

Carter agreed. "We could find some of the local dress and blend in with the mine workers, while Teal'C is blending in with Ammut's Jaffa."

"I wouldn't mind studying Aaru's people and culture," Daniel said as they approached the elevator that would take them twenty-eight levels to the surface. "From what I could gather from the Tok'ra's report, they have a very Old World Celtic way of life. They group together in clans and speak some form of Irish Gaelic, along with some form of English," he added as a side note.

O'Neill sighed with relief at Daniel's last statement. "Good. I hate it when you have to translate everything. I mean you're good Danny boy, but sometimes I think something gets lost in the translation."

Daniel laughed as O'Neill tried to be complimentary. "I know exactly what you mean."

They had reached the elevator. It didn't take long once they arrived at the elevator to reach the surface. From there, SG-1 would be driven in black military Hummers to the isolated mountain pass where the Tel'tak was stashed.

The day was cozy and glowing with the light of the sun, picnic weather as one might say. It was a delightful spring day in the mountains of Colorado. The air had the pungent smell of pine trees that invigorated a person's sense of purpose and made them take a deep, welcoming breath. A soft breeze from the southwest stirred the atmosphere enough to make the temperature mild. The forest seemed to surround the tiny motorcade as it made its way through the mountains. The pines and quaking aspen loomed on either side of the highway. The team enjoyed the rush of green interspersed with bits of gold, salmon, and violet colored flowers as they traveled.

The Hummer transports soon pulled off the main road and began a bone-jarring lurch down a dirt one. The mountainside inclined and became increasingly strewn with boulders. Sharp cliff faces and craggy reliefs of rock replaced the lushness of the trees. After what seemed like an endless amount of bumping up and down, the Hummer convoy came to a stop.

O'Neill was the first one out. "Where's our ride?" he asked the airman who had been driving the Hummer he had been traveling in.

The airman grinned sheepishly and pointed towards a steep slope a few meters to their left. "Somewhere in that area, sir." He waved his hand about through the air.

Carter was next out of the Hummer she had ridden in with the Colonel. In her hands, she held a remote to deactivate the cloaking shield that kept the ship hidden from unwanted eyes. She pushed a series of buttons and the air seemed to hum and pulse as the ship became visible before their eyes. The Tel'tak was just a simple cargo/scout ship to the Goa'uld, but it was still far beyond most Earth- style flying ships, since it was capable of interstellar space flight. It looked like a three dimensional triangle, except the bottom was curved rather than flat. Its grayish, silver color glinted in the unobstructed sunlight like the glare of the western sun off a rain slicked street.

As Carter continued toward the cargo vessel, Daniel and Teal'C stepped out of their Hummer transport. A few marines joined them taking point positions to watch for any unwelcome activity around them. Next, Carter punched in a code on the control panel by the hatch door that allowed access to the interior of the ship. With an electronic buzz and a feathery whoosh, the hatch opened. O'Neill had started to unload a third Hummer of its cache of supplies. Daniel and Teal'C joined him, hefting the large boxes up to the ship.

When everything was tucked safely away, O'Neill signaled the airmen and marines that he and his team were ready to leave. He double-checked that his people had their essentials. Daniel, Carter, and he had their packs with individual belongings and equipment, canteens, P90 machine guns and Beretta 92 side arms, radio communicators, flashlights, etcetera. The black vests they had on contained a myriad of emergency and military issued items in various pockets that zipped or velcroed into place. Satisfied that things were in order, O'Neill headed into the cargo area of the ship.

He and the others walked into an enclosure composed almost completely of gold inlay. The inside sparkled with flaxen beams of light. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs adorned the walls: the Goa'uld's standard language. Halfway through the spacious hold, they crossed a large circle engraved into the floor. This was where the Goa'uld transport rings were located. These, O'Neill had to admit, were an impressive piece of technology.

At about half the size of the Stargate, the transportation rings transmitted matter within their circular formation to another set of rings at a different location. Usually they were grouped in sets of five rings that layered on top of one another. They had to be in the correct position to utilize their conduit of bright energy for travel. The engraved circle the team walked over on the floor of the Tel'tak served as the ring platform. It received the energy field from another set of rings either on a planet or on another ship equipped with rings.

Finally, they moved into the flight deck. Teal'C took up position in one of the captain's chairs in front of the flight controls. O'Neill took up position in the captain's chair on Teal'C's left. Having served the Goa'uld for much of his symbiote-enhanced life, Teal'C knew how to fly the cargo ship better than any other member of the team. He and Carter's father had taught O'Neill how pilot it as well. O'Neill had already been an ace pilot, so his learning curve had been considerably short and steep.

"We're off to see the wizard," O'Neill sang out as the engines whirled and hissed to life. The other team members rolled their eyes at his joke. Daniel had decided he was going to do more reading and research, brushing up on Celtic culture, customs, and language, along with finding out about Aaru itself. Carter had decided to go through a systems check of the ship and then run some calculations on her laptop.

As the ship left the Earth's atmosphere, the team got a good look at the place that they lovingly called home. A beautiful blue and green globe hung suspended before them, like a multicolored marble in a sea of black velvet. The white whiffs of clouds fanning out below them on its surface seemed like pulled and fluffed cotton, warm and inviting. From their altitude the world seemed serene. The petty fighting of its inhabitants was unseen from space. This was a scene few had the privilege to experience. It filled its viewer with awe and reverence.

"Sublight engines are at full power," Teal'C reported. "Ready to engage the hyperdrive."

"Go for it!" O'Neill prompted, more than ready to begin the fantastic feeling of space travel. Teal'C keyed the proper controls and the hyperdrive engines came to life. A purplish- blue mist began to appear before them. It suddenly seemed to suck them into its shimmering depths. This was a hyperspace window that allowed the ship to travel far beyond the speed of light. Barreling through a blue kaleidoscope tunnel in hyperspace was hard on the eyes. They were now moving dozens of times faster than light could travel. At this velocity, reaching Aaru would take only a few hours.

Aaru was in actuality not that far from Earth, if one could travel faster than lightspeed. Located in an area of the galaxy that appeared very dark, Aaru existed in a place without many stars surrounding it. All the more reason for it to go unnoticed by many other space travelers. The planetary system in which Aaru found itself in had a tiny blue star for a sun. Aaru was the first planet in a group of five planets, so it was closest to the sun. In this position, Aaru was able to pick up enough light and heat energy to support life in a relatively Earth-like environment. However, Aaru was only about half the size of Earth and had only two large continents of land. Most of the surface contained vast expanses of Caribbean blue waters. The landmasses seemed covered in green felt, with a few patches of brown thrown in for good measure.

The planet's only visible flaw was the gigantic black spot that spread across a large section of the northern continent. It looked like a piece of bruised fruit, as if someone had pushed too hard on the soft skin of a peach and caused it to rot from the inside out. It appeared as an eyesore that spoiled the tranquil beauty of the planet's surface. This was the naquadah mine. Once small and used only from time to time by the planet's population, now under Ammut's control it had swollen to colossal proportions.

A day on Aaru was much shorter than that of an Earth day. Six hours of day divided with ten hours of night gave the planet only a sixteen-hour day. Its rotation was faster than Earth's and its orbit around its sun took just two hundred fifty-five days. The tilt of Aaru's axis was not as severe as Earth's and thus it didn't have the distinct four seasons that Earth did.

Daniel awoke with a start. For a moment he didn't know where he was. Then with a dull thud his head hit the supply crates he was leaning back against. He lay sprawled out on the floor of the Tel'tak, his books strewn in a heap around him. He had drifted off to sleep and his glasses hung precariously from one ear. He blinked his eyes to bring them back into focus. He had been dreaming about Aaru, well at least what he had read about it.

Carter laughed silently as Daniel desperately tried to collect himself and his clutter of reading material. She herself had dozed off for a moment. Her computer screen swam in and out of alignment in front of her. She looked over to see the Colonel sitting in his captain's chair, legs stuck out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. His baseball-styled hat was lowered down over his eyes and his mouth hung open as he slept. Carter swore she could hear him snoring over the rumble of the hyperdrive engines. She laughed out loud now.

Daniel joined her at her computer and turned in the direction of her gaze. He too couldn't help but chuckle at the sleeping Colonel. It was not a sight he often saw. Teal'C paid no mind as he continually watched the panel and lights in front of him. His concentration was on piloting the ship and scanning for enemy vessels that might endanger them.

"I dare you to wake him up," Daniel challenged Carter wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Ohhhh, no," Cater giggled. "I double dare you."

"Okay," Daniel said mischievously to Carter's shock and amazement.

Daniel stealthily tiptoed over to a position just behind O'Neill's chair. He held his stack of books in his hands. Carter's crystal, clear blue eyes widened in realization of what Daniel was about to do. Her eyes started to glimmer with mirthful anticipation. She envied Daniel in this moment. He could get away with the prank on O'Neill. He was only a civilian. Carter, on the other hand, could not bring herself to do that to her CO. She was, however, going to enjoy Daniel's plunge off the deep end.

Daniel had to stifle his laughter as he raised his load of books up as high as their weight would allow. He counted to three silently. Then he let the books leave his hands. They fell to the floor thanks to the artificial gravity created by the ship. The hoard of papers, spines, and covers thundered onto the floor with a loud boom of percussion. It sounded as if a cannon had been fired inside the small spacecraft.

O'Neill shot straight up and out of his chair. His hat went sailing up and over the control panel in front of him, to hit the view screen. He clutched the air beside him, searching for his P90 machine gun. It wasn't there. He looked around wildly, his breath coming in short gasps. His heart pounding as adrenaline shot through his veins. He blinked very rapidly trying to gain his bearings. "What the hell was that?" he bellowed. He saw his P90 sitting at the base of his chair.

Daniel had sprinted back to stand beside Carter. He was full out laughing, almost doubled over. Carter had tears streaming down her face she was laughing so hard. She couldn't believe Daniel had actually taken O'Neill by complete surprise. The look on the Colonel's face was utterly dumbfounded. He knew he was the butt of some joke, but he couldn't figure out exactly what the joke was. To Carter it was all too priceless.

O'Neill looked from his chair to Daniel and Carter having hysterics. He finally noticed the mess of books dumped behind the chair. He looked at Daniel and Carter again. _Nahhhh_, he thought, _one of them wouldn't have, would they?_ He then stole a quick glance at Teal'C. He did a double take to look at the big Jaffa again. He could have sworn he saw the usually stoic Jaffa's mouth threatening to curve into a smile.

"It wasn't that funny!" he exclaimed, his face turning slightly red in embarrassment. He was Special Ops trained. People weren't supposed to be able to sneak up on him like that. He must be more comfortable than he would like to admit around his teammates.

"Oh yes it was!" Daniel insisted trying to stem the tide of laughter that had overtaken him.

"YOU!?" It was half question, half disbelief.

Daniel just nodded.

"I can't believe you did that to me. You almost gave me a heart attack." O'Neill tried to put some anger into his voice, but the glint in his eyes gave away his amusement.

"Come on, Jack," Daniel admonished O'Neill. "You would've done the exact same thing to me, only worse, and you know it."

"This... is true," O'Neill stated dramatically.

"He's just mad because he didn't think of it first," Carter put in, finally able to catch her breath.

O'Neill tried to glare at her. "You kids are so gonna get it when we get home," he tried to sound authoritative.

"Sure, Dad," Daniel mocked in a childlike voice. O'Neill tried to glare at him too, but again he felt himself smile. Daniel had gotten him good and O'Neill wouldn't let the archaeologist forget it any time soon.

"We are approaching the planet," Teal'C's deep voice broke into their merriment.

"About damn time," O'Neill pronounced.

Carter fiddled with her computer for a moment. "It looks like the cloaking shield has full power, so we should be in good shape when we come out of hyperspace." She was back on the clock, instantly turning off the elated feelings as the military had taught her.

O'Neill walked around the flight control panel and snatched his hat up from off the floor where it had fallen after it hit the view screen. He quickly replaced it on his head. Satisfied he was pulled back together, he got back down to business too. "Okay, Dr. Jackson, what should we expect from the people of Aaru?"

"Let's see," Daniel said as he sidled over to his lump of books and pulled one from the pile. He also grabbed a composition notebook from the mound. "I've only been able to scan my books lightly--."

"Yeah, because you took a trip lala land before I did," O'Neill interrupted snidely.

"And compare Earth's ancient Celtic culture to that of the small amount of information the Tok'ra provided us on the people of Aaru," Daniel didn't miss a beat.

"Short explanation" O'Neill ordered coarsely. He hated hearing a lecture.

"It's like the people on Aaru are living back about the time when the Roman Empire ruled on Earth," Daniel began. "Their society is very clan oriented, which means if they are anything like Earth's Celts, they probably have a hard time getting along with other clans. The Celts of Earth seemed to perpetually fight one another."

"That would make it easier for a Goa'uld to come in and take over," Carter interjected. "Without a unified front, each clan could be picked off one by one."

"Or," Daniel said, "Ammut could use them to fight each other until there was no one left to fight her."

"What else?" O'Neill asked, clearly not liking what he heard.

"The Tok'ra mentioned that Aaru's ruling class was either corrupted into joining Ammut or killed off. This ruling class function much like the Druids of Earth," Daniel explained.

"Druids?" O'Neill raised his eyebrows.

Daniel smiled. "Yes Druids. On Earth they gained the reputation of being a band of nature worshipers, even having the ability to use magic. In reality, they were the glue that held the Celtic societies together. They acted as a kind of super class, performing the tasks of advisors, teachers, priests, healers, arbitrators, law makers, and so on."

"Ammut must have seen this ruling class as a threat. Those she couldn't seduce to the dark side, she got rid of," O'Neill summed up.

"Exactly," Daniel said flipping through his notebook. "Without their ruling class to hold them together, the Celts of Aaru fell apart allowing Ammut to move in. The Tok'ra also mentioned that great battles did take place at first, as the clans fought desperately to keep Ammut from conquering them. These people did not give up easily, but when they lost most of their leaders, they were eventually overcome."

"That doesn't sound good," O'Neill huffed.

Daniel agreed. "No it doesn't. The Tok'ra were able to gather a lot of information about this people's use of naquadah. Even though the Tok'ra consider them quite a primitive people, their weapons seem pretty effective in a fight."

"How's that?" O'Neill asked playing with his Velcro pockets.

Daniel read from his notebook for a moment before he answered. "Most of them are made with naquadah, instead of bronze or iron like what the ancient Celts on Earth used."

"Wow," Carter said out loud, drawing both O'Neill's and Daniel's gaze upon her. "I mean," she clarified, "that it's amazing that they could actually find a way to smelt the naquadah without using advanced technology. It's not any easy material to manipulate."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed again. "It appears they used it for more than just weapons. They did use it for armor, swords, shields, arrows, helmets, and chariots, but they also used naquadah for jewelry, plows, dining implements, mirrors, horse shoes, cauldrons--"

"We get the point Daniel," O'Neill snapped. "What happened to keeping it short and sweet?"

Daniel sighed. "Sorry Jack, but they are a fascinating and complex people."

"Not complex enough to fight off the Goa'uld though," O'Neill replied.

"You could say the same thing about us," Daniel snapped back. He hated when O'Neill stereotyped. Just because a people were primitive in technology did not make them stupid. "If it wasn't for some dumb luck and some helpful allies, we wouldn't have been able to hold off the Goa'uld's invasion of Earth."

"Oh come on, Daniel," O'Neill stepped closer to the archaeologist, his voice rising. "Earth beat the Goa'uld off thousands of years ago, and we just did it again." O'Neill didn't like the way Daniel pushed their victories aside.

"How about the next time?" Daniel offered up the question forcefully.

"We'll kick their asses a–ga–in," O'Neill drug out the last word for emphasis.

"You forget that I saw a version of what it would be like if the Goa'uld invasion had succeeded," Daniel said stepping toward O'Neill, so that they were face to face. "It wasn't pretty, and it could happen to us if we get too arrogant." Daniel was referring to the time he stepped through a quantum mirror and experienced the Earth of a parallel universe.

Carter could see the anger level increase with each word the men spoke, as did Teal'C. "We can't judge these people yet, sir, we don't know enough about them besides what the Tok'ra have told us. We need to find out for ourselves what actually happened to them and why." Carter tried to bring some reason into the conversation. She didn't like were it was headed.

O'Neill turned to her. Carter's mentioning that the information they had came from the Tok'ra brought him to attention. "Fair enough. We'll find out for ourselves what's really going on down there." He echoed Carter's former statement.

Daniel wasn't done yet. "We _are_ going to help these people, right?"

_Here we go again_, O'Neill sighed inwardly. Daniel was now going to start in on one of his crusades about saving the galaxy. "We are only here to gather Intel, Daniel," he said slowly. "We're not here to start a revolution."

"What if we find these people are suffering terribly?" Daniel demanded, circling back toward Teal'C's seated form. "You know first hand what the Goa'uld do to those they conquer," he said to Teal'C.

"Indeed," the large man said. "There is no telling what horrors Ammut has unleashed upon the people of Aaru."

"We can't just leave them at her mercy," Daniel pleaded. "We need to do something."

"This mission is just us," Carter told Daniel. "I feel the same way you do about the situation here, but be have no backup on this one."

Daniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Can't we at least sow some seeds of doubt or rebellion to help them get out from under Ammut?'

"You're assuming they even want to," Carter replied.

Daniel was about to lose it. O'Neill could see it in the way Daniel had his hands clenched into fists by his sides. Daniel was so passionate about his beliefs that sometimes he didn't listen to the logical reality. "Go to your happy place, Daniel," O'Neill said and paused as he gripped Daniel's shoulder. "We'll see what we can do, okay?"

Daniel shrugged O'Neill's hand off his shoulder and turned away in frustration. "Okay," he whispered fiercely. He was so sick of the Goa'uld and how they had enslaved so many people across the galaxy. They had taken his wife Sha're, away from him, turned his life upside down, and hurt countless other races, forcing some into extinction. He had made it his personal mission to free as many people from their tyranny as possible, no matter what.

O'Neill knew exactly how his friend felt, because it was how he felt. He couldn't stand the Goa'uld, and their totalitarianism filled him with moral indignation, but Carter was right. They weren't capable of freeing every group of people they came across, even though they very much wanted to. If Ammut was all she had been made out to be, freeing these people might be impossible with a fleet of spaceships, let alone with just the four people on his team. Daniel had a point too. A few whispers of rebellion here and there against Ammut may go along way to helping the people of Aaru gain their freedom. His team shouldn't have been arguing at all. Everyone's emotions were on edge now that they were ready to being their mission. There were so many unknowns.

"We are ready to drop out of hyperspace and engage the sublight engines," Teal'C informed them.

Carter went to the standing platform behind and in between the front two captain's chairs. After hitting a few flashing lights she said, "Ready to trigger the cloaking shield."

Teal'C deactivated the hyperdrive as Carter activated the cloak. The moment the ship dropped out of hyperspace from within the purple mist, it shimmered out of sight. "We are now invisible to all known Goa'uld scanning and tracking devices," Carter stated smoothly.

"Good," O'Neill replied. "Let's orbit once and then do a lower flyby of the area surrounding the naquadah mine and see what we can see."

Carter and Teal'C ran their hands over the control panels they each had in front of them. Teal'C navigated the vessel, while Carter powered up and set the ships sensors. "The ship's sensors are set to pick up life signs, power sources, and naquadah levels," she reported.

Daniel heard all the things his teammates said, but his eyes were riveted to the scene on the view screen he was now facing. Even after all he had read, it had not prepared him for what he saw. A small, round ball materialized in the immense darkness of the starless space. It was very Earth-like in appearance, but contained much more green and the atmosphere spun with gray and silver vapor. Daniel could see the long and curved outlines of the continents making a lonely road through the vastness of the azure water.

As the Tel'tak orbited, the monstrous black hole of the naquadah mine could be seen. It marred the surface of the planet like someone had scooped a big chunk of ice cream out of its container and left it colorless and barren. The size of the mine must have been enormous if someone from space could see it so clearly. Ammut had been busy.

What drew most of Daniel's attention was the greenness of the northern continent that was not blemished by the naquadah mine. It truly looked like an emerald isle, a name by which Ireland went by back on Earth. If Daniel could have reached out and touched the masses of green, he imagined it would feel like silk or velvet. Rich, warm, and soothing were words that came to his mind. It must have been fields and fields of growing plants responsible for what he was seeing. Aaru must get lots and lots of rain to produce such luxurious and prolific foliage.

The ship dipped lower into the planet's misty depths. It was almost as if thick smoke from a heady fire encompassed them. The view from the view screen became obstructed and Teal'C had to rely on the sensors Carter had brought on line. The ship rumbled slightly and bumped through the unsteady air pressure. Teal'C's hands on the controls compensated for the fluctuations and the ride settled down. The path of the ship would take them low enough to observe the inhabitants without causing any noticeable disturbance.

"Sir?" Carter questioned.

"Yeah," came O'Neill's reply. He had gotten caught up in the elegance of the planet too.

"The ship's sensors are picking up very high power levels approximately forty kilometers to the west of our position," Carter explained. "The levels appear to be consistent with a Goa'uld Ha'tak vessel." Another name for a Ha'tak vessel was a Goa'uld mother ship. It consisted of a large pyramid shape in the middle and it was tetrahedral, which meant it had four sides sticking out from the pyramid, perpendicular to its base. These sides were also shaped in a three dimensional triangle configuration.

"Ammut," Daniel said coldly.

"Take us over there, Teal'C," O'Neill ordered as his gut clenched.

Following his instructions, Teal'C maneuvered the ship toward the sensor readings. It didn't take more than a few seconds for the Ha'tak to come into view. This Ha'tak was huge, much larger than a regular Goa'uld mother ship usually was. Ammut must have done some customizing. It sat in the middle of a hilly valley with a large lake off to the east. The ship was anchored to a landing platform in the shape of a pyramid, similar to the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt. In fact it had been Daniel's belief that the Great Pyramid was actually built by aliens that had caused him to be laughed out of academia. If only they could see this.

Huts, or small houses made out of arched timber, walls of wicker, and roofs of thatch dotted the shore of the lake, the hillside, and the valley floor. Smoke wafted up and out of chimneys into the cool dusk. Circular, square, and rectangular hill forts were placed upon many of the hilltops. They had a dry, stone wall and had a ditch dug to surround themselves. Ammut had put her base of power right smack in the middle of a loose hamlet of farms.

As the Tel'tak passed by, swarms of Jaffa could be seen coming and going from Ammut's Ha'tak. The inhabitants were slowing making their way home from a long day of labor at the mines, or serving Ammut's other needs. Farmers were putting away their plows and gathering up their flocks of livestock. Ammut needed to eat, didn't she? Women busied themselves with preparing dinner or bringing in wash. The Jaffa presence filtered through everything.

"I didn't think Ammut had _that_ big of a Jaffa army," Daniel commented.

"Anubis must be loaning her some," Carter said.

"Ya think?" O'Neill replied sarcastically.

This was much more extreme than they had been led to believe. Ammut may have been banished, but she had obviously been building her power for some time. O'Neill knew he would need to find out just how long Ammut had been at it. What if she had completed her doomsday weapon? Could she help Anubis conquer the System Lords and then Earth? O'Neill clenched his jaw. If he had any say in the matter, he wouldn't let that happen.

As the ship continued its flight, the hamlet became a faint speck in the distance. Suddenly all the foliage dropped away, and the ground looked like soot. Nothing seemed to grow here. The naquadah mine appeared. Conveyer belts and platforms similar to assembly lines encircled the outlying area of the mine. It must have been at least 2,800 square kilometers, 70 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide. It went almost four and a half kilometers deep.

Large domed lights placed at regular intervals lit up the night sky brighter than a football stadium on Superbowl Sunday. Workers that looked and moved like ants or a colony of bees spread across the face of the mine. Some were going down into it and others coming up out of it. A series of levers and pulleys made of thick gage, metal chain and cables controlled elevator type scaffolding. This scaffolding aided in the ascent and descent of the mine's workers. It reminded O'Neill and Daniel of the much smaller naquadah mine they had seen on Abydos, the first world they had ever traveled to through the Stargate.

Jaffa stood guard, urged workers onward, punished those too slow, and supervised every aspect of the mining. Mounds and mounds of tailings piled up and down the hillsides, some of them twenty meters high. The mine had a ripple effect look to it, like where a body of water sat and then receded over and over again, leaving behind levels or layers, one leading up to the other, almost like stairs. The dirt was filthy black. Copy toner couldn't be any blacker or messier than the naquadah enhanced dust.

All sorts of tools littered the mine site. There were picks, shovels, something similar to a jack hammer, drills, big digging machines, dirt movers, and so on. Refining buildings, belching obnoxious black smoke, took up most of the west side of the mine. The team had never seen anything like it on Earth, or anywhere else. This was one major operation.

"Teal'C, find us a place to ditch this thing. We need to do some serious foot work." O'Neill wanted to start getting down to the heart of their mission. "Teal'C and I will do some shadowing recon, while Carter and Daniel will see if they can get invited to dinner."

"We'll need some different clothes," Daniel said worriedly. "I don't think SGC standard issue uniforms would be well received."

"They'd be a dead give away," Carter agreed.

O'Neill frowned. "Right. You two stay here and Teal'C and I will steal you something off one of the wash lines we saw out there as we flew over."

"I bet you never thought you'd use your black ops training to steal clothes," Daniel commented and smiled faintly at the picture of O'Neill pilfering a pair off underwear of an old lady's wash line.

"On the contrary, we always were stealing clothes to disguise ourselves with," O'Neill defended his honor.

Teal'C proficiently found a secluded spot about two kilometers away from the hamlet and ten kilometers away from the mine. A giant group of trees with a small clearing seemed just right. The flora and fauna were so intense that even without the cloak, the ship would have been well hidden. Monumental oak, ash, bur, and yew trees clumped together giving shelter from storm or sun, yet untouched by the mining process.

O'Neill and Teal'C deftly slipped out of the cargo ship and into the on-coming Aaruan night, even as the ship's engines were still powering down. "Well how do you like that?" Daniel commented at his colleagues' swift departure.

"I have to admit that was one quick exit," Carter replied dryly. She knew O'Neill was just itching to get out into the field, but _man _that was fast.

"Okay, what do we do while we wait for them to come back?" Daniel asked of Carter. Then he added, "They are coming back, right?"

Carter gave Daniel a withering look as she ignored his last question and focused on his first one. "I think I can come up with a few tasks for you to do." She smiled slyly at him.

Daniel knew he was in for it now. "I bet you can," was all he said.

TBC

**Please drop me a line or two and let me know what you thought about this chapter. Am I capturing the SG-1 spirit? Thanks!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Stargate. That honor goes to MGM Home Entertainment and its affiliates. I'm only writing for my own enjoyment and hopefully the enjoyment of others. I'm not making any money off of this. My original characters are the only thing I claim as mine. No copyright infringement is meant. Thanks.**

**Rating: T for some pretty strong violence.**

**A/N: Sorry once again for taking so long in continuing this story. This is poor guy is like the red headed step-child; he gets taken care of last out of all my stories, but not on purpose. Anyway, just a reminder that this story takes place sometime like in the middle of season five of SG-1, so no Asgard ships yet for the people of Earth, the Goa'uld are still the main bad guys, and Daniel is just starting to change into the strong leader he eventually becomes. I apologize to anybody who actually speaks and understands Irish Gaelic, because I don't. I just thought I'd throw in a few simple statements for fun using an online English-Irish Gaelic translator. If I made errors it was not intentional. Please remember that I'm feedback hungry, so don't starve me for reviews. Your rewards shall be great if you are kind. Well, enjoy!**

**Many thanks go to RadcliffePotter for returning as a beta reader for me! She rocks!!**

**Chapter 4**

O'Neill and Teal'c made their way cautiously through the dense underbrush of the forest. They were making good time, despite their precautions. The night descended rapidly upon them. There appeared to be no moons tonight; Aaru had two of them. The stars were few and far between, adding little light to the oppressive darkness. This was a great advantage to the two warriors now slinking through the dense bushes and lush foliage; it would make it harder for their enemy to spot them. As they grew closer to the village, they had to considerably slow their pace. Jaffa seemed to pop up around every corner. It wouldn't do to get caught mere moments after they had arrived on the planet.

O'Neill raised his hand to signal Teal'c to hold his position. Teal'c, whose eyes were well adjusted to the dark, halted instantly. It was a good thing that he did, as a patrol of ten Jaffa stepped out of a clump of ash trees to walk right by the two invaders. When the Jaffa patrol's footsteps were but a distant thump, O'Neill signaled to Teal'c to move forward again. O'Neill was using an SGC retrofitted pair of night vision goggles. They were smaller and more compact than the standard military issued kind. O'Neill had wanted to try them out for months now. The Aaruan mission was proving to allow him to do just that. O'Neill was really a big kid at heart; it was part of his charm, at least, he hoped it was.

Teal'c now signaled to O'Neill to stop, and then he pointed to his left. O'Neill could make out a definite trail leading out of the woods and toward vast farmers' fields. Moving along the trail O'Neill became aware of staggered huts with thatched roofs. The smoke rising from them took on the appearance of wisps reaching for the heavens like ghostly spirits.

Teal'c had been carefully observing the Jaffa they hid from, as had been O'Neill. Most of them had the symbol of Anubis on their foreheads. The tattoo somewhat resembled a bird of prey in profile with is wings thin and curved up in flight. Or if one were to look at it head on, it looked like a bird with a sharp beak with two thin and curved plumes atop its head, blowing back in the wind. O'Neill laughed to himself as he realized that he was applying the Rorschach inkblot test to Jaffa tattoos.

Teal'c and O'Neill observed many other Goa'uld system lord symbols among the Jaffa they saw. Some bore the symbol of Apophis on their foreheads, like Teal'c's, but not inlaid with gold. Some bore the symbol of Cronos, others of Heru'ur, Hathor, Seth, Sokar, Ares, and even some bore the symbol of Ra. It seemed to O'Neill that Ammut had picked up many strays in her desire to build an army. Most, if not all of the aforementioned Goa'uld, were dead now, thanks to the Tau'ri. Other symbols were ones O'Neill had not seen before; these either had to be Ammut's own personal symbol, or another Goa'uld long forgotten.

The closer they got to the village and its inhabitants, the more Jaffa there were. It appeared as if all of the villagers were safely tucked away inside their humble homes. No one lingered in the forest, fields, or dirt streets of the village. Teal'c again signaled O'Neill to look in a certain direction; this time it was off to his right. A villager's wash line was strung up from one bur tree to another in what seemed like small backyard. This particular hut had a fence made out of wooden sticks or poles lashed together surrounding a good half-acre of land. It was about shoulder high; if one were a tall man. _Bingo_, thought O'Neill. He refocused his goggles and spotted what appeared to be clothing hanging from the line, lazily billowing in the breeze.

He signaled Teal'c to break off and head for their target from the left; he would approach from the right. O'Neill wasn't concerned if the clothes fit Carter and Daniel all that well, just so they could walk through the village without screaming "Tau'ri" to the Jaffa. In one swift move O'Neill heaved himself up and over the fence and dropped silently to the ground on the other side; Teal'c had done the same. Teal'c could see light flickering through the window of the hut. The sound of mournful singing could be heard, soft as a feather alighting on the palm of an open hand. Teal'c did not understand the words, but the sound was strangely beautiful.

Slowly and carefully, O'Neill slid through the foliage until he was almost to the clothesline. He saw tan, brown, and green tunics, some leather, some cloth, and many pairs of leather pants, along with a couple of hooded cloaks and some skirts. Just as he made to grab a pair of brown leather pants that might work for Daniel the back door of the hut opened. O'Neill instantly jerked back into the bushes, keeping as still as he could.

A plump woman strode out into the backyard. She seemed to be in her early fifties or late forties. Her hair was back in a long braid. O'Neill could tell she had dark hair, but the goggles weren't that good at distinguishing distinct colors. Her face appeared to be weathered by long hours in the sun; crow's feet creased her eyes. O'Neill took in her attire. She was dressed in a tan cloth tunic with a simple ankle-length tan cloth skirt. On her feet were tan boots made of some kind of animal hide. She had a band of silver around her neck and some kind of chain belt at her waist.

As O'Neill assessed her, a younger woman came out to join her. She had light colored hair swept back from her face in a bun. Her appearance took O'Neill aback; she resembled someone who had had an accident with a toner cartridge from a copier or printer. She was splashed with black soot on her face and clothing. She wore dark leather pants and a dark, short-sleeved leather tunic. She wore no shiny jewelry.

The women spoke quietly to each other in what O'Neill assumed was Gaelic, from what Daniel had told him. He didn't understand a lick of what they were saying, but it was obvious that the younger woman had spent all day in the mine and was needing a change of clothes. _Crap,_ O'Neill thought. The two women stopped at the clothesline almost on top of his position. _Double crap_. The older woman proceeded to take off a lighter colored cloth tunic and a dark colored skirt from the line. She handed them to the younger women and the two resumed their conversation. The younger woman was clearly agitated and the older woman was trying to calm her down. Finally, after what seemed like an unbearable amount of time by O'Neill's standards, the two women walked back into the hut and closed the door.

O'Neill let out the breath he had been holding and shook his head. It didn't matter what planet they were from, women all seemed to know how to talk and talk a lot. At least now he knew what type of clothing would be appropriate for Carter now. A sudden movement from behind him caught his attention. His heart beat harder in his chest as he realized there was someone with him in the bushes.

"It is I, O'Neill," Teal'c's low voice spoke from behind him.

"Oh for crying out loud!" O'Neill whispered harshly. "Don't do that Teal'c. I swear you are the most stealthily bastard I know."

Teal'c just nodded toward O'Neill. Then he said, "I have procured the clothing we need for DanielJackson and MajorCarter."

"What?" O'Neill hadn't even known that Teal'c had made a move. "How? When?" he asked in astonishment.

"As you were carefully assessing the situation, I took the opportunity to retrieve the needed items."

O'Neill felt the heat rush to his face. While he had been gawking at the women, Teal'c had completed their task. "Great T, just great," was all he could say.

* * *

"I think I'm done, Sam," Daniel called from the back of the Tel'tak.

"Really? That's great," was Carter's reply.

The job that Carter had given Daniel was to ration out food for the four of them to cover a two week time period. It was something to keep him busy, while she had been studying the Goa'uld hyperdrive engine. It was the one piece of technology she still hadn't been able to backwards engineer and recreate. The U.S. Air Force was trying to develop ships capable of interstellar travel, but creating an actual working hyperdrive was proving to be elusive.

Daniel walked up to join Carter on the flight deck. He had long ago shed his military green BDU SGC jacket, opting to just wear the green BDU pants and black T-shirt. Carter had also removed her military green jacket to go with the more casual look of her black T-shirt and green BDU pants. "Any luck?" Daniel asked, inquiring about her work on the hyperdrive engine.

Carter sighed and rubbed her stiff neck absently with one hand. "Not really."

"How much longer do you think we'll have to wait for them?" Daniel asked, now referring to O'Neill and Teal'c.

"Haven't got a clue," Carter answered.

Daniel gave her an impatient look. "I know, I know," Carter said holding up her hand in defeat. "I want to get out of here just as much as you do, but we can't. At least not yet."

Now it was Daniel's turn to sigh. Suddenly his radio crackled to life. "Knock, knock. Anybody home?" O'Neill voice came mockingly over the channel.

Daniel plucked his radio from his belt and pressed the button to respond. "It's about damn time, Jack."

"Language, Danny, language," O'Neill's voice was still mocking. Then he turned semi-serious. "Let us in Daniel, we come bearing gifts."

Carter walked from the flight deck back through the cargo hold and keyed the symbols on the control panel that allowed the cargo ship's door to open. Teal'c and O'Neill were off to the right side of the ship. They hadn't been quite sure where the ship was, as the cloak was still fully active. Teal'c stalked in first, and then O'Neill followed; in their hands was a various assortment of native clothing.

"Wow, sir," Carter commented. "You went all out."

O'Neill smiled. "Actually, Teal'c picked 'em out."

Carter gave Teal'c a surprised glance, and then set about perusing the stash of clothing. Daniel warily came over to view the pile of stolen goods as well. Carter had already found a dark green, short-sleeved leather tunic to her liking. Happily, she found a pair of matching dark green leather pants. "Excellent shopping, Teal'c," she teased the Jaffa warrior warmly. Teal'c merely gave her a slight bow in response. Daniel found a dark orange and sandy colored cloth tunic and a matching pair of sandy colored leather pants.

"Teal'c even found boots," O'Neill piped up, not liking the silence that had descended as his friends concentrated on their new wardrobes. He grabbed a black pair for Carter and a brown pair for Daniel. They each took their respective pairs from him and rushed to the back of the cargo ship, where there was actually a bathroom. Carter beat Daniel into it, however. "Never try and get between a woman and new clothes Daniel. Never." O'Neill quipped at the frustrated archeologist.

Several minutes later Carter stepped out of the bathroom. O'Neill felt his breath catch in his throat. The tight leather did wonders to enhance that fact that Carter was an attractive blond with curves. She looked stunning in the new outfit, almost Amazon warriorish. The tunic was cut low, but not immodestly so. The sleeves hit her about half down her upper arms. The tunic was leather, but it had strips that criss-crossed in a diagonal pattern. The pants revealed long and well-defined legs. Teal'c also approved of Carter's appearance by giving her another slight bow.

When Daniel came out, he no longer looked like a scholar. He had shed his glasses, popping in some much-hated contacts, but he needed to see and not stand out, so he wore them grudgingly. The tunic hugged his upper body snugly. He had been working out much more recently with Teal'c's help and guidance. Carter noticed his upper arms were muscular and the boy seemed to exude much more testosterone than she remembered. His brown leather pants also showed his physique off nicely.

"Nice," O'Neill commented to both of them. "I'm almost jealous I don't get to play dress-up too."

"No you're not," Daniel told him.

"Yeah, you're right," O'Neill replied, then he said "I think you guys won't draw as much suspicion now as you would've before, but there are an awful lot of Jaffa out there. It looks like they placed this village under some kind of curfew or something; no human is out and about. You might wanna wait until morning to try and blend in."

Daniel had a thought. "I was thinking that we could say we were from a village on the other side of the continent. That we lost the rest of our convoy and were looking for somewhere with food and shelter."

"It might work, if you can get to a villager first and not a Jaffa," O'Neill admitted.

Daniel turned to Carter and smiled at her. "Do you want to go with 'brother and sister' or 'husband and wife'?"

"You're serious?" she answered. Then she decided to turn the tables. "Which would you prefer?"

O'Neill had to hand it to Carter. She had now thrown the ball back into Daniel's court, causing him great distress. Daniel didn't want to offend his friend either way. If he said brother and sister, she might take it as if he didn't think she was good enough to be his wife, and if he picked husband and wife, she might not like the idea of him implying that there was more than friendship between them. He decided to choose the lesser of the two evils. "Let's go with brother and sister. That way we don't have to push it too far past our feelings of friendship in front of strangers, but yet we can still appear to care deeply for one another."

_Nice save, Danny! _O'Neill thought. He hit the ball right back to Carter.

"Sounds like a plan," Carter smiled and slapped her "brother" on the back.

"I think we should get going now," Daniel said, and hurried on to explain why when O'Neill glared at him menacingly, "because it will take us quite a while to arrive at the village if we have to avoid all the Jaffa you guys saw. Then we'll need time to observe people before we can actually approach someone."

Carter jumped in. "I agree with Daniel, sir. We stand a much better chance of getting into the village undetected under the cover of dankness than in the light of morning."

"You two just wanna get outta here," O'Neill responded, pretending to sound accusatory.

"I, too, agree with DanielJackson and MajorCarter," Teal'c interjected much to O'Neill's ire.

O'Neill frowned, and then he out right scowled. They were right, but he didn't like it. "Fine. Go. But use extreme caution and take a weapon."

"A Zat or our side arms, sir?" Carter asked, delighted they were receiving the green light to finally go and do something instead of just sitting around in the cargo ship.

"Zat," O'Neill answered. "We wouldn't want to take out any innocent Aaruans, now would we?" O'Neill directed the last bit to Daniel.

"Thanks, Jack," Daniel said dryly.

A Zat was O'Neill's nickname for a Goa'uld weapon known as a Zat'nikatel. It was made in the shape of a coiled serpent. To enable the Zat to fire, a button was pressed to extend the serpent's head and neck. When the weapon was fired, piercing blue lightning shot out of the serpent's mouth. One shot would stun its target, a second would kill its target, and a third shot would disintegrate its target. Carter went and retrieved two Zats from a mini armory cabinet. She stuck one in the waistband of the back of her pants and pulled the bottom of her tunic down over it to conceal it. She handed the second Zat to Daniel, who similarly stashed his Zat in his pants.

"Okay kiddies," O'Neill addressed them, half mocking, half serious. "Go out and play, but I want you to check in with a radio every two hours." As he said this he threw a radio at Carter. She caught it easily and hid it in the front waist band of her pants and again pulled her tunic over it to cover it up.

"Got it, sir," Carter replied to O'Neill's indirect order.

"See ya guys," Daniel said, and then added sincerely, "You be careful too."

"Aren't we always?" O'Neill quipped.

Daniel just rolled his eyes and followed Carter out of the cargo ship's door. As the Tel'tak's door slid shut, it extinguished all light. Daniel and Carter paused in the sudden darkness, allowing their eyes to adjust. "I kinda wish we'd asked the Colonel for a pair of those night vision goggles," Carter lamented, uncertain of where to go.

"You mean like these?" Daniel said as he pulled two pairs of the miniaturized night vision goggles from behind his back.

Carter stood staring at him with her mouth open. "Where did you get those?" she asked as she gratefully accepted the pair he held out to her. As she slipped them into place, she became aware of Daniel's Cheshire cat grin.

"I pilfered them from Jack," was all the answer he provided.

Carter couldn't help but smile back. Daniel was proving more and more that he was a man of many skills. "The Colonel said we should stick to the woods for cover."

"After you, Sam," Daniel politely allowed the Major to take the lead.

They made their way swiftly and inaudibly through the dense underbrush and heavy foliage. Carter loved using the new goggles; she was a kid at heart too. Though the goggles weren't as good as real sunlight, the Major could pick out a direct path through the forest and avoid any patrolling Jaffa. Soon the tale-tail sign of smoke could be seen in the distance; they were getting close to the village.

The temperature had dropped dramatically as they traveled. Carter shivered as goose bumps peppered her exposed flesh. She could tell Daniel was cold too; she caught him rubbing his bare arms a few times. A cold breeze had begun to stir as well, adding to the coolness. The lofty trees and profuse bushes whispered around them, like ancient sentinels telling secrets to a spellbound audience. It was very strange to see so few stars in the night sky. Earth's sky, in contrast, was filled with them. They could especially be seen if one journeyed far enough away from the glaring and intruding lights of civilization.

Daniel grabbed Carter's arm roughly and dragged her behind a gigantic yew tree. She was about to comment on how rude the action was when she saw the reason behind it. A patrol of at least twenty Jaffa marched directly to their left. Near the rear of the Jaffa's two by two marching columns were five villagers. They were young boys from the looks of them. Their hair was matted with what appeared to be fresh blood. Their hands were tied painfully tight atop their heads.

Carter tried to assess the situation. She figured the boys must have been caught breaking the curfew O'Neill had told them about. They boys had apparently put up quite a fight, since they were badly beaten and had been bound so severely. The Major continued to watch as the group march passed them. Instead of proceeding out of sight, the procession stopped in a small clearing. A large Jaffa, with a symbol Carter didn't recognize, walked behind the five boys and used the length of his staff weapon to strike the back of their knees. The boys fell to the ground, and one or two of them cried out in pain.

Tension built inside her and she felt Daniel go rigid beside her with anger and fear. They had the feeling they were witnessing an execution. The Jaffa spread out to form an imperfect circle around the five boys, like hungry lions circling their prey, before moving in for the kill. Daniel could hear some of the boys sobbing. He turned to Carter ready to speak. She immediately shushed him with her hand and a brisk shake of her head. She knew he wanted to stop the oncoming massacre. Carter desperately wanted to too, but they were powerless to intervene in their current position. They could not reveal themselves without risking the entire mission, not to mention their very lives.

The sound of all twenty staff weapons opening with a humming swack echoed throughout the forest; the ground vibrated with the noise. _No_, Daniel thought, _please_ _no_. The boys couldn't have been more than thirteen or fourteen years old. Daniel heard the order to fire and then watched in horror as the plasma energy bolts flew from the staff weapons and into the boys' bodies. Over and over again the weapons flashed and hissed. The staff weapons tended to discharge a lot of carbon dioxide when they were fired; they were also burning through flesh. The smoke they created was visible in the cold night air. As the smoke cleared, the smell of frying skin and tissue permeated the woods.

Daniel felt himself gag and he tasted bile in his throat. Beside Daniel, Carter, was doing more than gagging, she was retching silently. One boy was still sobbing hysterically; his wails carried on the bitter breeze. The charred bodies of his friends stared blankly at him. Daniel heard him repeatedly cry, "Stad! Stad!" It meant stop.

The large Jaffa that had brought the young villagers to their knees wrenched the boy to his feet. He loomed threateningly over him. Then the Jaffa told him, in Goa'uld, that he was to go back and tell others like him what happened to those who dared to break the law of their god, Ammut. The boy bowed low and uttered apologies, gratitudes, and promises of obedience in Gaelic. Finally, another Jaffa stepped forward with a wicked looking dagger and cut the boy's arms free from their bindings. Then the death march finished its way back toward the village.

Weak kneed and boneless, Daniel collapsed against the yew tree, sliding down it until he touched the ground; Carter had already done so. The boys' bodies were left right where they had fallen. Carter placed her head between her knees and tried to breathe. Daniel closed his eyes and felt tears splash down his cheeks. He had to take off the goggles to wipe his eyes. He felt Carter's hand slip into his moments later. He gently squeezed her hand back.

They sat there, recovering from the atrocity they had just seen, mourning, trying to pull themselves back together. They both knew how evil the Goa'uld could be, but witnessing an execution like this, brought it all fresh before their eyes with biting clarity. They would help these people somehow, some way, they _would _help.

"Now what?" Daniel whispered, his voice hoarse.

"We need to get inside somewhere, quickly," Carter's voice trembled slightly. "We know what happens if we get caught."

They shakily got to their feet. "I think I will be able to understand these people," Daniel informed her. "They _are_ using a form of Gaelic. Do you want to just pick a house at random or scout around some?"

"Let's see if we can look through a window and find a home with a family. They might be more sympathetic to strangers in need," Carter replied.

Daniel nodded his agreement and they traversed the last bit of forest to a small grouping of huts. Lights burned in only a few windows, like faint beacons of hope. Most of the villagers had gone to bed awhile ago. Carter signaled Daniel to check out the four huts to their left, while she would investigate the three on their right. Only one of the four houses Daniel headed toward had light coming from its front window. He carefully positioned himself below the window and removed his goggles to peer inside.

This hut appeared be made of thick wood and some thinner sticks. It was divided into two rooms. One room Daniel couldn't see into because its door was closed; the other was a combination kitchen and sitting room. The source of light was a fire burning in a small stone hearth. An old woman, with snow white hair braided down her back to her waist, sat in a wooden rocking chair, knitting. The kitchen was tiny, with a table and four chairs surrounding it. There was a set of shelves lining one wall, filled with glasses and dishes. Pots, pans, and many other cooking utensils hung on the wall opposite the dish shelves. It appeared to be cleaned up, tidy even. Daniel thought that this home had possibilities as a safe place to stay.

He slowly backed away from the window and found Carter coming towards him. They hid themselves in a group of large rose bushes, just bordering the woods. "Only one of the three huts I scouted had a fire still going," Carter informed him, "but I couldn't see any sign of the people living there." Daniel told her of his discovery. "It would seem that yours is our best bet. Let's hope the woman is the grandma-friendly type," Carter said after weighing their two choices.

"I'll do my best to seem harmless," Daniel said giving her a sheepish look. On many occasions Carter would agree that Daniel could appear very harmless, but lately, she wasn't so sure. He was changing, getting stronger and more confident.

Quietly, they stepped up to the door of the hut and Daniel knocked softly. When nothing happened, he knocked a little harder. They heard a scraping noise from inside; then it grew quiet again. Daniel looked at Carter and knocked even harder this time. The scraping noise repeated itself and they heard it accompanied by soft footsteps coming towards the door. The footsteps stopped and silence followed.

"Ag Cabhru'! Le do thoil!" the Irish Gaelic flowed gracefully out of Daniel's mouth. "An feidir le heinne cuidiu liom?" (Help! Please! Can anyone help me?) He said it loud enough to be heard through the door, but not loud enough to attract any undesired attention. The door opened a crack, and an elderly woman peeked at them through it.

"Ca as duit? Cad ata' uait?" came the tentative question from the old woman's lips, softly. (Where are you from? What do you want?)

"Daniel is ainm dom," Daniel continued in Gaelic. "Sin I Samantha." Daniel told her their names. He proceeded to explain to her that he and his sister were from far away and that they were lost. He told her that all their possessions had been taken from them and they had nowhere to go, at least that's what Carter assumed he was telling them. She couldn't understand a word, but it was the story they had discussed using. Daniel also went on to recount what they had seen in the woods to the old woman. He said they were afraid of the strange men with the lightning sticks and that they didn't want to die.

It was obvious the old woman had heard the execution in the woods, as she stiffened with fright when it was mentioned, but gradually was opening the door wider and wider. She was fully appraising Daniel and Carter, sizing them up. Throughout the entire conversation Carter tried to look demure and scared, the latter was not hard to manage. She noticed Daniel kept gesturing toward her and the old woman kept appraising Carter. The old woman seemed to soften toward Carter as Daniel continued to talk. Carter had no idea what was being said, but whatever it was it looked like it was working. At one point Daniel actually put his arm around Carter and pulled her close to him, protectively. That act appeared to solidify the old woman's mind to let them in.

"Tas isteach. Sui sios," she said finally. (Come in. Sit down.)

Daniel guided Carter into the interior of the hut. It was much warmer inside with the fire burning in the hearth. It smelled like cinnamon and sandalwood, with campfire aroma mixed in. The floor was smooth wood, probably oak. Two hand woven rugs with classical centrifugal and centripetal swirls covered most of the floor space. Carter had seen the circular patterns in many Celtic designs on Earth.

The old woman brought a couple of chairs from the kitchen section of the room and placed them across from her ornately carved, dark oak rocking chair. A small mantle hung over the stone hearth. Placed on it where unlit candles and a few Celtic crosses made out of some sort of metalwork. Carter wondered if the metal was naquadah or some other type of material. Daniel had said that these people had made almost everything out of the special metal.

"Do you understand me when I speak this way?" Daniel asked the old woman in English, stepping out of his Gaelic momentarily.

The old woman looked shocked for a moment and then smiled warmly, understanding clearly evident in her eyes. "It has been a long time since I have heard the 'Old Tongue'," she said in perfect English. She spoke with a slight accent that sounded vaguely Irish, and a bit high British.

"'The Old Tongue'?" Daniel asked, now very interested. Carter was extremely relieved to be able to finally understand what was being said.

"My great-grandmother taught it to me many, many turns ago," the old woman's voice was strangely soothing as she spoke. "I am Aislinn of the Clan Bre'fine."

Daniel returned her earlier smile with one of his own. "We are pleased to meet you Aislinn, and very grateful that you so generously offered us shelter."

"Such brave, if not foolish, young people should not meet their deaths at the hands of the Diabhal," Aislinn's wrinkled face hardened for a moment, then softened again. Carter looked at Daniel; she didn't catch the last word Aislinn spoke.

"It means devil," Daniel whispered out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes still on Aislinn.

"Where is it that you said you came from?" Aislinn asked.

Daniel had to think quickly. "Our clan is all but extinct. We come from the Fomorrians, by the eastern sea." He hoped his lie would go over well.

"That is a long way away," Aislinn turned thoughtful. "Has the Diabhal not reached you there?"

Daniel assumed she meant Ammut, so he went on with his lie. "Not until recently. Our village has been overrun with her soldiers. Many people died, and many people were scattered."

"We have been ruled over by the Diabhal for many centuries now," Aislinn informed them. "I don't understand how she didn't find your clan until now."

"We've been hiding," Carter spoke up softly.

"Well, good for you," Aislinn said as she stood up. "We tried fighting, hiding, running, but failed, according to the old stories. The Diabhal and her - the old word escapes me - deamhan men, have been our masters all throughout my lifetime."

"Demon," Daniel politely supplied the English term, as Aislinn busied herself with pulling a kettle from the fire.

"Can I offer you some tea to warm your bones? It is a cold night." Aislinn asked, as she went to retrieve cups from a kitchen shelf.

"Yes. Thank you," Carter answered for both her and Daniel.

"We aren't disturbing anyone, are we?" Daniel asked eyeing the closed door off to the left of the kitchen.

"I live with my granddaughter and her husband," Aislinn told them as she poured tea into the cups and passed them out to Daniel and Carter. "Davina and Adair."

"They won't be upset that you allowed us in?" Daniel asked, worry in his voice.

Aislinn smiled reassuringly. "Oh, Davina will love the company of another young woman in the same condition she is in."

"Oh?" Carter replied, startled.

"It is good luck to have two women with child in a home," Aislinn came and took Carter's hand with one of her old, gnarled ones. "I am sorry for the lost of your husband, and I wish you to have a strong and healthy child."

Carter almost spit her sip of the delightfully fruity tea out when Aislinn mentioned her being pregnant. If looks could kill, Daniel would have been dead twice over with the look Carter gave him. All he did was shrug and look away. "Thank you, Aislinn. We are very grateful for your kindness," Carter managed to recover herself.

"There is a small shed around the back of our dwelling. It is usually used for food storage, but times are lean. I think we can turn it into a sleeping room for you and your brother," Aislinn explained. _Well, at least Daniel stuck to that part of the story_, Carter thought sourly.

Without warning the door off the kitchen opened and a tall man with wild, shoulder length, black hair appeared; he looked grumpy. He exchanged words with Aislinn harshly. Then he took in Daniel and Carter. Aislinn seemed to hurriedly explain the situation to him. They had returned to speaking Gaelic and Carter was lost again. A petite, young woman materialized by Adair's side. Her auburn colored hair was also worn in a long braid, but wisps of it framed her round face. They must have come loose in her sleep. She seemed to have a calming effect on her husband. He listened to both Davina and Aislinn plead the strangers' case. Davina appeared to have accepted Carter and Daniel's presence.

"We are sorry for the intrusion," Daniel interrupted, speaking English, "But we had no other choice."

Davina got the same shocked look Aislinn had earlier when she had heard Daniel speak English. The same look turned to the same radiant smile her grandmother had given them. "I can't believe you speak the 'Old Tongue'", she gushed. "No one around here dares to anymore."

"Why?" Carter asked curious now.

"Because the Diabhal forbids it," Davina said as if that explained it.

"Why would the Diabhal do that?" Daniel asked.

"You really must not have had much experience with her or her people," Davina said, "or you would not talk so. It is the language of her enemies."

Adair spoke up. "I will allow you strangers to stay here, as long as you do as you are told and don't cause any trouble. We live in a fragile balance and I will not have it disturbed. We live peaceably because we give our master no reason to treat us otherwise. And stop calling our god the Diabhal." This last statement was directed towards the women; so were his next words. "If she heard you, your punishment would be severe."

"You like living in slavery?" Daniel couldn't help but say.

"Ammut is our god. She provides us with everything. She knows how to reward and punish, and she has the power to do both. I will not be on the receiving end of any punishment. I will do her will," Adair spoke adamantly. Daniel decided for the moment to let it go, but it riled him to see Adair believe so strongly in Ammut's god status. The women of the family obviously did not share this belief. They saw her as the evil she was. Maybe there was some hope for these people.

"All we want is food and shelter," Daniel lied. "We will cooperate and do as you instruct." _For now_, Daniel added silently.

Aislinn had Adair clean out what little food storage the family had from the small wooden structure behind their main dwelling. It had four walls, a dirt floor, and a poorly thatched roof. Carter decided it wouldn't be a nice place to take up permanent residence in, but for the few hours to maybe days they would spend there, it was better than being out in the open with no place to go.

Aislinn hurried about laying down layers of straw, which she then placed a woven blanket over. She repeated the process, creating two crude, but satisfactory sleeping palates. Adair had some last words for his new guests. "Tomorrow, you," he pointed to Daniel, "will accompany me to the mine. I think I can sneak you in passed the overseer, Iden. After a while if you work hard, he will never question the added help. You must do exactly as I say and speak only when I signal you to do so."

"I'll trust you judgment, Adair," Daniel tried to sound sincere. "What about my sister?"

"She will stay here with my wife and work the wheat field to the north," Adair answered briskly. "No one is allowed to be idle, not even women with child." Adair's voice softened a bit as he mentioned his wife's condition.

"Thank you again for your kindness," Carter didn't have to force her sincerity.

Adair's eyes seemed to mist over a bit. "We still value the lives of others, even if our god does not always do so." With that said, Adair left them alone.

"So, now what?" Carter asked of Daniel, a bit of anger in her voice.

"I don't know," came Daniel's honest reply. "We can't go anywhere until morning, at least not without dire consequences."

Carter sighed heavily and gingerly sat down on her straw bed. "I am not going to go and work in a wheat field all day," she stated. "A woman in my condition should stay home."

Daniel finally caught on that Carter was still upset over his embellishment of their cover story. "I thought you were all for women's lib, Sam," he tried to joke it off.

Carter was having none of it. "You should have discussed my pregnancy with me first. What in the world made you add that little fact to our tale?"

"Aislinn was very wary of us," Daniel explained. "People here hardly, if ever, venture out at night. We really spooked her. She had heard the sounds of the execution out in the woods. She thought we were a trick to lure her out and kill her too. I thought if I made our situation seem worse than it actually was, she would be reassured. I was right. We lucked out that her granddaughter is also pregnant."

This answer appeared to unruffle Carter's feathers. "It's not that I don't like the idea of being pregnant. I like kids and would like to have some someday, but I was totally taken off guard and not sure what to do. It wasn't a nice feeling."

"And I _am_ sorry, Sam, but we were in desperate need." Daniel joined her, sitting on his own straw bed.

Carter went back to her original inquiry, albeit in a much softer tone. "What are we going to do now?"

"Do you still have the radio Jack gave you?" Daniel answered her question with one of his own.

"I almost forgot," she smiled sheepishly. "We're due to check in with the Colonel."

"Tell him our situation and see what he thinks we should do," Daniel suggested with a yawn; all of a sudden he was dead tired.

Carter retrieved the radio transmitter from her waistband. "Colonel O'Neill, do you read me, sir?" she said as she pressed the relay button on the device.

Static followed for a moment, then she heard. "It's about damn time, Major. Teal'c and I were just about to come after you two."

"That would be a very bad plan, Colonel," Carter replied.

"Oh yeah?" the voice from the box said. "And why would that be?"

Carter proceeded to explain all about the execution of the young boys she and Daniel had witnessed. She thought she heard the Colonel curse as she paused for breath. He obviously didn't like the news of the execution. She then explained about being taken in by Aislinn and her family. As she talked, she herself yawned, and she felt a down-to-the-bone tiredness come over her. She ended her report with, "What do you think we should do now, sir?"

"Well, Major, I don't like the situation much, but I suggest you stick with it for now," the Colonel said after a moment's pause. "It might do us a lotta good to have Daniel see the mine up close and personal, and to have you see how extensive their military force extends out in the fields. Teal'c and I have been sneakin' around from place to place, but the darkness is making it a little difficult to really judge the scope of things."

Carter yawned again before she spoke into the radio. "Alright, sir. We'll see what we can do. When do you want us to report in again?"

After another long pause, O'Neill finally said, "After you gather as much information as possible. Probably towards the end of the day, or if you get into any trouble. I don't want you alerting your hosts to anything out of the ordinary. If you have to keep breaking away to report, that might attract unwanted attention. Just be careful, keep your eyes open, and have fun."

"I'm sure working in the mine and the field all day is going to be loads of fun, sir," Carter replied sarcastically.

"I'm sure it will be," O'Neill quipped and then signed off.

Carter signed off as well, powered down the radio, and returned it to the waistband of her pants. She turned to tell Daniel what the Colonel had ordered, but he had passed out on his straw bed; he apparently had just toppled over. His face was buried in the thin blanket covering the makeshift bed. Carter wanted to reach over and shake him awake, but suddenly she couldn't keep her eyes open either. She felt her head bob down and then up. She tried to stir herself, but it was useless. Finally, she gave into the fuzzy and lightheaded feeling. Then she knew no more.

TBC

**Oh, dear, huh? Are Daniel and Carter just really tired or is it something else? Please let me know what you think about this chapter by leaving a review. How did I do? If I get some good feedback, I'll let you know what happens next. :) Thanks!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Stargate. That honor goes to MGM Home Entertainment and its affiliates. I'm only writing for my own enjoyment and hopefully the enjoyment of others. I'm not making any money off of this. My original characters are the only thing I claim as mine. No copyright infringement is meant. Thanks.**

**Rated T for a little bit of violence.**

**A/N: Thanks to the people who are reviewing. Your rewards will find you for your kindness. I'd love to hear from more of you. Don't be shy, tell me what you think; really it makes my day to hear from those who like to read. I value the thoughts and opinions of others, so please vent your thoughts. This chapter will answer the question about why Daniel and Carter were so tired in the last chapter. Things go from bad to worse (which is typical for SG-1), and I introduce a new, original character. Enjoy!!**

**Thanks again to RadcliffePotter, an awesome beta reader!!**

**Chapter 5**

Hazy light and distorted sounds seemed to assault Carter as she tried to become conscious. Gradually, her eyes began to focus and the sounds turned into a person's voice. She went to rub her face and shake her head, she but couldn't. Her hands wouldn't move; they had been tied painfully behind her back. As reality shifted back to its proper alignment, Carter realized she was now in a sitting position tied to a chair.

"Sam, you okay?" It was Daniel. His voice sounded far away.

Carter tried to answer him, but her mouth felt dry and her tongue seemed too large for her mouth. She decided to turn her head back and forth in the negative, but her head exploded in blinding pain. Carter became disoriented again and nausea almost overtook her, as her stomach clenched.

"Sam?" She heard Daniel call to her again. "Sam, try to focus on my voice."

Carter listened as Daniel talked to her, trying to stop the spinning and block out the pain. Daniel was saying something about that they were, in fact, tied to chairs with their hands restrained behind them and their feet bound at the ankles. He thought the ropes were thick and strong, leaving no room for wiggling out of them. Whoever had tied them had done so expertly. He said that they were still in the little storage shed behind Aislinn's home. Daniel thought that many hours had passed, because it was now light outside. Apparently, they had been given some kind of knock out drug and it took quite a while to wear off.

"The tea," Carter finally got out, her brain now functioning properly.

"My thoughts exactly," Daniel told her.

"But that means that --," Carter didn't want to finish the thought.

Daniel reluctantly did so for her. "It means that Aislinn drugged us."

"But why; she seemed so kind?" Carter's disbelief was very raw; the betrayal stung.

"I don't know," Daniel's voice relayed his shock as well.

They heard footsteps approach from the outside. The door creaked open and a flare of sunlight flooded the dirt floor as if a storm cloud had parted and allowed a ray of light to shine through. Aislinn stepped inside, but it was a very different Aislinn than they had seen the night before. Her white hair was still braided, but redone and wrapped around her head like a crown. Instead of the soft linen dressing gown from the night before, she wore a brown leather tunic and pants. The sweet grandmotherly nature was gone. Her brown eyes were hard as stone and cool as glacial ice.

"I see you spies are awake," her voice was sharp like a steel blade. "Good. Now I can have the Jaffa warriors take you to the overseer Iden, and he can turn you over to our goddess Ammut."

"Spies?" Daniel said the word as a question.

Aislinn struck out with the backside of her hand and slapped Daniel heavily across his face. "Don't deny it. You are not from this place. I found your weapons and communication device when I searched your unconscious bodies."

Daniel's cheek and nose burned where he had been hit. He was speechless. Carter wasn't quite sure what to say either. Finally, she just said, "How?"

Aislinn gave them both a cruel, self-satisfied smile, like the cat that swallowed the canary. "Your use of the 'Old Tongue' for one thing. Most of us are strictly forbidden to use it; those who do are traitors. There are those who would plot to hurt our people and defy their god. There are many among us who would do that, so we must search them out and destroy them. We, who have proven our loyalty and piety, have been given the task of weeding out the rebels, and either killing them, or giving them as a sacrifice to our goddess, Ammut. I use the 'Old Tongue' only to identify those who would betray our goddess. The other mistake you made was claiming to be from a tribe that our goddess hadn't known about. There is nothing she does not know and this entire world is hers. No one has escaped her power."

Daniel was reeling; he could not believe her religious zeal. No matter how many times he heard it from people controlled by the Goa'uld, it still stunned him. "If your goddess is so powerful, why does she need you to find those disloyal to her? If she really is a god, couldn't she do it herself?" Daniel spoke harshly, like each word was disgusting to him.

Aislinn's eyes flashed with wrath. She struck out at Daniel again, this time hitting him twice. The force she used was great enough for Daniel to taste blood in his mouth and his eyes blurred with tears. "Your insolence is abominable. You will be severely punished, and rightly so. Your treachery and lack of faith will not be tolerated by our goddess."

"So all you said about Ammut being a demon was made up?" Carter asked the obvious, but she had to hear the answer from Aislinn's own mouth.

Aislinn again rewarded Carter with her cruel grin. "Of course. It is how the perfidious among us believe. They spread their lies and deceits about our goddess through such talk. I only pretended to be one of them. I would never, ever mean such blasphemous speech."

Daniel rolled his eyes; this was ridiculous. Ammut must really have done a number on these people for centuries to have many of them so loyal to her. Daniel's disrespectful motion did not go unnoticed by Aislinn. She smacked him again, this time over and over, until both is month and nose bled from the beating.

"Stop it!" Carter tried to yell, but it came out as more of a rasp.

Aislinn looked at Carter with a glare that would have melted the strongest of metals. It was pure and unadulterated hatred that was staring at Carter; it took Carter aback. She had never seen a look so vicious, except from maybe a Goa'uld assassin, an Ashrak. Carter shivered involuntarily as she finally broke the eye contact with Aislinn.

"You should fear me. You are nothing," Aislinn told her.

Daniel coughed as the blood from his nose ran down the back of his throat. He had to spit it out on to the floor. "Aislinn, you don't know how wrong you are. I pity you. You are so fooled by all that is vile and evil that you can't see the truth that is right in front of you."

Carter thought Aislinn would strike Daniel again. _Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? But no, Daniel always said what he thought. He never compromised_.

Aislinn seemed to try and collect herself. "It is plain that _you_ have been so deceived, that _you _believe your own lies. I will let Ammut have the pleasure of making you suffer beyond anything you can imagine. She is a master of pain and torture when she must do so. Too bad you will never know the pleasure and reward she can bestow upon those who truly worship her." With that she left the shed with a slam of the door.

"Great way to piss her off, Daniel," Carter remarked and looked at her injured friend with concern.

"I can't stand how the Goa'uld have twisted these people," Daniel coughed violently and spat blood a second time.

Carter smiled at Daniel's deep felt belief. "I know, but you could save yourself the pain, if you knew when to keep your mouth shut."

"I guess that's a lesson that I'm slow to learn." He tried to smile, but it turned into a wince of pain.

The door banged open, startling both of them. Five Jaffa with varying symbols on their foreheads spilled through the doorway. They roughly cut Daniel and Carter from their chairs and hauled them to their feet. Then they violently shoved them through the doorway and out into the Aaruan morning. Daniel could barely stand, and Carter wasn't doing much better as she stumbled among the Jaffa. It seemed that they were now on their way to meet the overseer for this particular part of the village.

Carter noticed Aislinn up ahead of the Jaffa. It appeared she wanted to deliver them to Ammut's overseer personally. As they made their way through the foliage, Carter had other questions for Aislinn. "What are you getting out of all this? What reward is so great that you would give people over to a monster to be tortured and murdered?" Carter knew her words were as bold as Daniel's, but she had to have an answer. She was beginning to understand Daniel's feelings more and more.

Aislinn dropped back to keep pace with Carter's lurching steps. She seemed to almost gloat with her answer. Her eyes became bright with a crazy delight. "Riches beyond your wildest dreams. Gold, jewels, fine linen, banquets of food, servants to wait upon my every need, as they do our goddess, and vast amounts of land and property."

"That's it?" Carter couldn't quite believe how shallow Aislinn sounded.

Aislinn's eyes grew more crazed as she spoke. "Is that it? It is everything! To live in opulence and to live in peace. To know that my family will be blessed for our dedication and loyalty. I want to live in luxury. I want the power that Ammut can give me!"

"What about your people?" Daniel rejoined the conversation.

"What do I care of those who lack the faith to follow Ammut's will?" Aislinn answered with a flick of wrist and hand.

"What about your granddaughter's family?" Carter asked.

"I do all I do for them," Aislinn told her. "My reward will bless their lives as well as my own."

"You have to know that Ammut will betray you. She will use you to get what she wants, and then she will eliminate you. She will not keep any of her promises," Daniel stopped to face Aislinn. "You need to wake up before it is too late."

The Jaffa closest to Daniel shoved him forward with such force that Daniel fell at Aislinn's feet with the wind knocked out of him. The Jaffa spoke with a growl of a voice. "The goddess Ammut will enjoy sapping the life out of such a profane and sacrilegious cur as you. You will experience such pain that you will welcome death, and then," the Jaffa paused for dramatic effect, "she will revive you, so she can do it all over again."

With that said two other Jaffa came forward, grabbed Daniel under each arm, and forced him to stand. Then they dragged him along with them, not caring that he couldn't breathe well or walk straight. Carter was also brutally manhandled to pick up the pace.

It didn't take long to reach the brightly colored tent in the center of the village. The purples, lavenders, and golds were stunning. They were obviously meant to make a show of majesty and royalty. The tent seemed to take up the entire town square, and it rose into the air like a mammoth monument to prosperity and wealth. It dwarfed the other homes and huts of the surrounding village.

If this tent belonged to Iden, the Overseer, then Iden must have served Ammut faithfully to receive such a lavish reward. What portion of Iden's soul had he sold to be so well thought of by a monster like Ammut? Had he allowed himself to be taken as a host to a low level Goa'uld, or had he willingly turned against his people? Carter shuddered slightly at the thought of the acts this man must have performed in Ammut's service. She realized her time of wondering would soon be over, as both she and Daniel were about to find out for themselves what kind of person Iden was.

* * *

The Jaffa's entrance into his chamber barely disturbed him. This warrior knew it was unwise to interrupt his master as he worked. As a soldier he was stealthy and trained to respect the lord he served. His master hid a small smile of pride as he continued to study the screen in front of him. He was well aware that the Jaffa stood silently at attention, like a statue carved out of hard stone. The Jaffa would wait, standing that way, until his master acknowledged him. Even if it took hours for that acknowledgement to come, only then would the Jaffa speak to his commander.

Ammut had given him a little to start with, a few misplaced Jaffa here and there. He had turned the tiny army of misfits into a sooth running, extremely efficient machine. These Jaffa were now well-trained under his tutelage and leadership. They had gained a great deal of discipline and loyalty to the point of self-sacrifice, if it was required of them. The Jaffa he commanded knew their place and duties, which they executed with exactness. They fully understood the consequences of failure, slowness, or incorrect action. These errors usually resulted in an unmercifully slow and painful death. Fear was such a grand motivator.

Finally, he decided to see what purpose the Jaffa had for visiting him. He shut off the data screen he had been poring over for the past hour. The readings didn't make sense and his analysis of them was at a standstill. He looked up from his high-tech information station. He was surrounded by numerous screens, consoles, cameras, and other electronic devices made from naquadah and other metals. This command center took up almost the entire chamber.

The chamber was used to observe, record, research, and compute data from around the planet and the space beyond it. From here he ran all security and intelligence protocols Ammut desired to keep her hold on this backward little planet; he acted as Ammut's right arm. He was one of the only people Ammut had given such power and authority to. It wasn't that she completely trusted him, but he was one of the only ones competent enough to run the parts of her operation that she couldn't run directly herself. He had worked long, bitter hours proving himself, slowly gaining her partial confidence. He knew how to act and what to say to get into her good graces. It also had helped that he was quite brilliant.

The Jaffa stood straight and tall, not moving nor speaking until told to do so. Pleased with this Jaffa's performance he spoke to him. "Jaffa kree!" The words had great command in them. The Jaffa instantly snapped to, looking at him, and then dropping his eyes out of respect, showing his subservience. When the Jaffa's master spoke to him, he added the deep, almost electronic or mechanical sound to his voice all Goa'uld used when the symbiote talked through its host. He also caused his eyes to glow, filling the normally soft, brown eyes of the host with fiery white light.

"My lord, Antef," the Jaffa began with a bow. "Aislinn has found more enemies of our goddess amongst the Aaruans."

"And why is this important to _me_?" the Jaffa's master demanded. Certainly those under him in charge of quelling any resistance could deal with a few troublemakers. He had much more important things to attend to at the moment.

As if expecting this reaction from his master, the Jaffa produced the two Zat guns Daniel and Carter had been carrying, as well as the radio Carter had on her, to show to Antef. "Because we found these on them, my lord," the Jaffa said indicating the items he held out for his master to see. Antef's eyes went wide with surprise, which he then carefully hid behind a stoic mask. It was not typical practice to allow slaves access to Goa'uld weapons, and the communication device was beyond native Aaruan technology.

"How many traitors did Aislinn discover?" Antef asked in his deep, Goa'uld voice.

"Two, my lord," the Jaffa answered promptly, then added, "And Aislinn believes they are not Aaruans, but spies from another world."

"She does, does she? How interesting," Antef replied raising an eyebrow. "Where are they now?" He asked the question calmly, but inside his mind was racing in turmoil. Aislinn was getting a little too good at her job. Ammut's training for spotting rebels and outsiders was flourishing in Aislinn. She had caught, or outted at least thirty potential threats to Ammut's reign in the last few months. He would have to be more careful around her and around her comrades.

Antef, appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be a minor Goa'uld, loyal to Ammut, and vying for position and power through her ranks. Indeed, he had let himself become just that, in thought, word, and deed. He had started out as a Tok'ra operative centuries ago. His host's name was Kemet. Kemet and Antef had been blended for nearly twice as long as they had been on Aaru, which was around three hundred years. After a time, both Antef and his host Kemet had come to enjoy the power, control, and wealth they had amassed serving Ammut.

The power was corrupting, slowly at first, and then more and more quickly. Knowing that they could have the final say in the life and death of others, and profit richly from it, became intoxicating. They had also developed the bad habit of using a sarcophagus to heal and regenerate themselves. A Goa'uld sarcophagus was a type of technology that was able to repair damage to humanoid and symbiote bodies. It could also delay the aging process, allowing a Goa'uld to live for thousands of years. There were, however, negative side effects upon repeated use of a sarcophagus. One of those negative side effects of was an addiction to it. This addiction also led to increased arrogance, the craving for more and more power, loss of one's conscience and morals, and the loss of empathy and compassion. The Tok'ra had stopped using them for that very reason.

Antef and Kemet had other reasons for turning their backs on the principles of the Tok'ra; spurned love for one, and lack of promotion within the ranks of the Tok'ra for another. They had loved another of their kind so deeply, that they would have done anything for them. Unfortunately, the other of their kind had chosen another Tok'ra for a mate. The heartache and feeling of loss had almost been too much for Kemet to bear, and Antef hadn't been far behind him in having those same feelings. They were also passed over time and again for admission onto the Tok'ra Council, no matter how hard they worked. Resentment, bitterness, anger, longing, and jealously spun a tangled web, first in Antef's heart, and then later in Kemet's.

Now they plotted against their own kind and sought after the Tok'ra's destruction. They also wanted their own rise to grandeur and supremacy. They were even contemplating eventually overthrowing Ammut and taking her precious kingdom away from her. That was proving to be a much more difficult task to complete, than originally believed. Now having to worry about Aislinn and her ability to pick out traitors, the difficulty level increased yet again.

"They have been taken to Iden, the Aaruan overseer," the Jaffa told his master.

"Do we have working surveillance equipment set up in Iden's tent?" Antef asked knowing full well that the equipment was in place. Ammut had every move these people made watched. Antef wanted to see if this Jaffa knew his protocols; another test.

"Of course, my lord. It is accessible through grid one-one-two-four-six-one," the Jaffa did not hesitate in his answer.

"Then let's see what Aislinn has caught, shall we?" It was a rhetorical question. Antef stood and walked over to a large view screen with three panels of controls laid out in front of it. With a flurry of touches and presses of buttons, he brought up the inside of Iden's massive and elaborate tent. As the former Tok'ra operative took in the scene on the view screen, both host's and symbiote's breath caught in their throat. Their gaze stopped on an intriguingly beautiful, blond human female in green leather Aaruan garb. The woman had an air of confidence about her, even though her hands were tied tautly behind her back. They felt a tingling of recognition as they stared at her. Symbiote and host had the distinct impression that they knew her, but from where and when, they couldn't remember.

Forcing their eyes to focus on the full picture, they glanced at the woman's companion. A young, human male with short, sandy brown hair, also dressed in Aaruan garb. The young man was actually arguing fiercely with the short and balding Iden, in Gaelic. This insubordinate fool was obviously not from Aaru. No Aaruan would dear address an overseer in such a disrespectful and insolent way. Ammut had beaten and tortured that out of them over the centuries she ruled here. "It does appear that these two humans are not native to this planet," Antef finally spoke, after several more minutes of watching the screen. "They show none of the fear or reverence that our goddess has carefully crafted into the Aaruans."

"Yes, my lord," the Jaffa said with satisfaction. He was glad his master agreed with his assessment of the situation.

"I will go and interrogate them myself," Antef shut the view screen off with another flurry of touches and presses of buttons. "If they are spies from enemies of our goddess, they must be dealt with cautiously and immediately. Questioning them may prove fruitful, if not enjoyable." Antef allowed his host's mouth to curve into a wickedly smug smile.

He turned to leave and the Jaffa quickly stood aside to permit his master to walk out of the chamber and into the hallway ahead of him. The Jaffa then followed Antef at a courteous distance. This loyal soldier had not once questioned his lord's actions or words. In fact, he was secretly pleased that he had been the one to relay such important information to Antef. A Jaffa could receive a prosperous reward for that kind of action.

TBC

**How will Daniel and Carter get out of this one? Let me know what you think. Like it, hate it, or what? Thanks!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Stargate. That honor goes to MGM Home Entertainment and its affiliates. I'm only writing for my own enjoyment and hopefully the enjoyment of others. I'm not making any money off of this. My original characters are the only thing I claim as mine. No copyright infringement is meant. Thanks.**

**A/N: I sincerely apologize for taking so long to update this story. I got really bad writer's block for some strange reason. I knew what I wanted to have happen, but not how to get there. My muse finally returned to whisper some inspiration to me, so I hope it works. Carter gets a blast from the past here, but not exactly how you'd think. And one of Ammut's creatures makes an appearance much to Jack's dismay. ****Please read and review** **and let me know that working past my writer's block was worth it. I'll try not to let the next chapter take as long, but no promises. Reviews would help to encourage me to keep going. Thanks!!**

**Also, many, many thanks go to RadcliffePotter for betaing this beastie for me. She has her own busy life, but she is always willing to lend a hand. :)**

**Chapter 6**

Iden was utterly beside himself. The young man had stood his ground and refused to answer to the charges of treason and sedition that Aislinn had brought against him and his female companion. Instead, this Daniel, as he called himself, stuck strictly to his story about fleeing from another village, far beyond Iden's knowledge. Iden was an overseer mostly because he always did as he was told, not because he was particularly bright. This young man seemed earnest in his plea, and his sincerity touched Iden. The young woman he was with reminded him of his own daughter, serving in Ammut's personal household. The fact that she was with child was also softening his heart.

"Are you sure you haven't made a mistake, Aislinn?" Iden turned his attention toward the matron of the village and continued fervently, "These young people seem to need guidance and direction, not torture and execution."

Aislinn's mouth developed a grim, almost painful frown to it as Iden spoke to her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could Iden be so foolish? She had begun doubting his ability as an overseer for quite some time now. She was awaiting her chance to be chosen to replace him. If she played her cards right, she might now gain the proof she needed to show his inadequacy to Ammut. "Have I ever made a mistake before when digging up a traitor?" Aislinn replied coolly.

Iden, round, short, and very bald, squirmed under her icy gaze. Aislinn had been able to identify many threats to their goddess, but sometimes Iden wondered how legitimate her charges actually were. "There is a first time for everything, my dear," he tried to joke. Aislinn remained completely unmoved. Iden's voice shook slightly as he spoke again. "What proof do you offer?"

"They are complete strangers to us, Iden," she spat out his name as through it were poison. "You have never seen either of them in this village before. You who oversees all for our goddess."

"True, they are strangers here, but being strangers doesn't always equal out to making someone a traitor." Iden tried to straighten himself up to be taller. Aislinn seemed to tower over him; he did not like that feeling. He was supposed to be the one in charge here, not her.

Aislinn couldn't stand Iden's spinelessness any longer. "You saw the weapons I took off them. You think everyone in the village walks around freely with those kinds of weapons? Only the Jaffa are allowed to carry the weapons of our goddess. Not even you are allowed to have one as the Overseer. Why are you denying what is right in front of you?"

Iden stared at her. His mouth gaped open. "I--I--d—don't kn—ow," he stammered.

"Maybe he is sick of all the unjustified killing of his people," this came from Daniel, who had listened to every Gaelic word the two leaders had exchanged.

From Iden's point of view the young man was right. Aislinn had brought before him too many bright, vibrant, and beautiful Aaruans for judgment. He had been compelled to have them all executed to instill fear and grief, and to keep his people in line. His heart felt sincere sorrow and deep regret for all the deaths which were on his hands. Those youths, who had had so much promise and so much life ahead of them, he had snuffed out. It was all to satisfy the ungodly bloodlust of a false god. He would never say that fact out loud, but Ammut was not a true god, he believed that in his heart. A true god would show mercy and tenderness for lost followers. He hated her and hated serving her, but he and his family's lives depended upon his blind obedience. Only now, for some strange reason, he could not bring himself to condemn more sweet, innocent, young people to death.

"Shut your insolent mouth!" Aislinn growled at Daniel.

"Why, so we can listen to more of your appalling propaganda?" Daniel, although bloody and beaten, stood his ground yet again. Iden silently cheered him on.

Carter was afraid of what would happen next. Even though she could not understand the conversation, she knew Daniel was pushing their luck once again. The Major knew that Daniel had been swaying Iden to their side. She had watched his eyes soften as Daniel spoke adamantly to him. Then Aislinn had started arguing with the portly overseer. Carter braced herself for some sort of physical punishment as a result of Daniel's words. Instead, she sensed something else; a warm, familiar tug from her acquired sixth sense. Someone with a Goa'uld symbiote was coming towards them, and this someone was not a Jaffa.

The Jaffa carried the larval form of the Goa'uld within them, serving as sort of an incubator for them until they matured enough to take a host body. The larval symbiote could help a Jaffa heal a wide variety of sicknesses or injuries, and it could extend a Jaffa's life to over a hundred human years. When the symbiote was in an actual host, the tug Carter felt was very different from the sense of a symbiote inside a Jaffa.

The Major had known instantly that Iden was not a minor Goa'uld, but a regular human male. Since her brief and confusing time as a host to the Tok'ra, Jolinar, she could always sense when a symbiote was present. Jolinar had died inside Carter, giving up its life to let her live. The symbiote had dissolved into the Major's body, being absorbed by her organs, tissues, and blood. The young human woman also still had naquadah in her blood from Jolinar mixing into her DNA. This gave Carter the nifty ability to operate certain Goa'uld technology which required someone to have naquadah in his or her blood to operate it.

A tall figure now stood just outside the tent. A Jaffa bearing the symbol of the snake inside a circle appeared within the tent. The symbol looked almost identical to the one Teal'c bore on his forehead, except this tattoo was not embossed with gold. It was Apophis' sign, but he was long dead thanks to the exploits of SG-1. It seemed that many of his Jaffa had joined Ammut's cause. It would explain her recent ability to expand her power base and bring her to the attention of Anubis. It might also expose SG-1 as the spies they were. Teal'c had been First Prime of Apophis, head of the Jaffa army Apophis controlled. Teal'c's betrayal was widely known among these Jaffa.

"Master and Lord Antef wishes to see your prisoners," the Jaffa directed his command to Iden.

"Ant-Antef is her-here?" Iden stuttered.

"I am," Antef announced as he strode into the tent. He again spoke using his symbiote's deep, inhuman, almost mechanical voice. He caused Kemet's eyes to glow bright white.

"Kneel before your master!" the Jaffa ordered to all.

Aislinn, Iden, and the few Jaffa in the tent instantly went to their knees in reverence. Daniel and Carter stayed standing, both out of defiance and shock. Carter stared at the person called Antef. He was dressed in a black, long sleeved tunic and black leather pants. He had some sort of wrap or cloak draped across his shoulders. Streaks of silver spread out over the cloak. His hair was a dark brown, almost black color. The haircut he had was short enough to look authoritative, but long enough to show feathery waves, indicating some possible natural curl and rich thickness. He wore a van dyke styled beard, not a full-face one. Carter thought he appeared masculine, yet pleasantly handsome too.

The tugging sensation had become much stronger now, but something else was mixed in with it. Carter felt recognition of both the symbiote and host. Suddenly flashes of distant memories pulled at her consciousness. They were not Carter's memories, but Jolinar's and her host Rosha's. Carter's breath caught in her throat. Jolinar and Rosha had known this Goa'uld and he wasn't really a Goa'uld, but a Tok'ra. The memories were incomplete and fragmented, but they left Carter with feelings of tenderness and warmth. Jolinar and Rosha had cared deeply for this Tok'ra, and most importantly they had trusted him.

Carter knew he would help them. He must have been one of the Tok'ra's undercover agents. Many of the Tok'ra had played the part of a minor Goa'uld to gain inside intelligence on what the System Lords were up to. If the Major could explain to him who she and Daniel were and that they were allies with the Tok'ra, he could get them out of this mess. This kindled new hope within her. The Tok'ra may have even informed him of SG-1's mission so he could be in place to help them if they got into trouble, which they had. He could get a message to the Colonel and Teal'c if needed.

"Kneel!" the Jaffa with Apophis' symbol bellowed at Daniel and Carter, who then hesitantly complied at the end of his staff weapon.

Antef address them still with his symbiote's voice. "That's much better," he commented as his eyes drifted over Carter and came to rest on her. Again both he and Kemet felt they knew this woman, but not clearly how so. "I must commend you, Aislinn. Your skills are impressive."

"Thank you, my lord," Aislinn all but gushed as she knelt before Antef.

Antef barely acknowledged her, though he was talking to her. His attitude was very condescending. "Cro'nak has informed me that your prisoners may be spies sent from our goddess' enemies," he stated.

"Yes, my lord," Aislinn was short and precise with her words.

"Then it seems they deserve my full attention," he replied and then turned to Iden. "I will take over from here, Iden. Your services are no longer needed." And just like that Iden was dismissed. The Aaruan overseer looked like a puppy that had been cruelly kicked in the ribs. He quickly fled the tent without a word of complaint.

Daniel, totally unaware of Carter's insight about the situation, lost hope as Iden disappeared beyond the tent. He knew he had almost convinced the Aaruan overseer to help them. Now one of Ammut's Goa'uld advisors had learned they were here. Daniel had a very bad feeling running up his spine. "We are not spies," he spoke to Antef, being sure to stay on his knees and keeping his head bowed. He continued to speak in Gaelic. Antef had addressed Aislinn in Gaelic, not Goa'uld or English.

Antef stepped right in front of Daniel. "Oh, but I think you are."

"Talk to the woman," Aislinn told Antef.

"What?!" he spun to face her, his anger was obvious.

For the first time since she had captured her prisoners, Aislinn lost her confidence and hesitated. She swallow slowly before she spoke, realizing her mistake quickly. Her fear was evident in her tone. "I meant no disrespect, my lord, but I know for a fact that the woman does not speak Gaelic. She can only speak the 'Old Tongue'. Questioning her would prove that they are spies."

Antef regarded Carter again, and then smiled wickedly. To Carter it didn't look right on him; it clashed harshly with Jolinar's memories. "Is this true? You cannot understand what we are saying?" he asked Carter in Gaelic.

The Major didn't have a clue what Antef had asked. She knew that they had been talking about her, but now he was talking to her. Panic leeched hold of Carter; she had no way to answer him. Hell, she hadn't understood a word he had said to her. Daniel was too far away to whisper any translation to her. She stared blankly at Antef; she felt like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. Her expression must have shown her distress, and her silence spoke volumes.

"See, my lord," Aislinn said as her confidence came back, and she smiled smugly.

"Can you understand me now, my dear?" Antef spoke in perfect English. Daniel always thought it eerie that the Goa'uld had mastered the Earth language so well. It seemed they had helped it spread across the galaxy, which made SG-1's job all the more easier to communicate with the various cultures throughout their travels through the Stargate.

Carter looked to Daniel for help. He merely shrugged his shoulders. They had been caught in their ruse. The Major quietly answered with a,"Yes," as she turned her gaze to the ground.

"I didn't quite catch your answer," Antef stepped closer to Carter. "Say it again," he commanded.

Carter gulped silently and said, "Yes, I understood you then," a little louder. Her voice shook.

"Well then, you two are surely spies, and you will be treated as such," Antef grabbed Carter's chin. "Only a very few of the Aaruans know English. And I know each and every one of them." As he forced Carter's eyes to meet his, both he and Kemet were struck with the sensation of familiarity yet again. He needed to talk with this woman, alone. He didn't want Aislinn, his Jaffa, or this woman's partner around to hear their intimate discussion.

"Jaffa kree!" Antef snapped the order, still holding the Major's chin in his hand. "Secure the prisoners and take them to my complex. Place them in separate cells. I want to question them apart from one another. We'll see how long they can hold out without each other for support."

Carter and Daniel struggled as the Jaffa rose, flanked them, and started to try and escort them from the tent. Antef raised his left hand up in front of them. "Resistance would be unwise," he said indicating the Goa'uld ribbon device on his hand. It channeled energy through amplification crystals. Emotion and thought control pushed the energy through the crystals. The device relied on the presence of naquadah in a person's blood. It would have been a device that Carter could have used, thanks to Jolinar. It fit over a person's fingertips and was frequently integrated into the Goa'uld's wrist devices, to be used with other remote controlled technologies. It could subdue, stun, deflect, paralyze, torture, or kill its intended victim.

Daniel and Carter stilled as they took in the ribbon device held out in front of them. "It seems you know what this is," Antef said, flexing his fingers. "That is good. I will also assume you know what it does."

"We do," Daniel spoke in English now.

Antef smiled with satisfaction. "It will bring me great pleasure to find out who you are." With that said, Antef gestured to the Jaffa to continue with their orders. Once the two prisoners had exited the tent, he turned back to Aislinn. "I shall inform our goddess of your loyal service. I am sure you will receive a sizeable reward." He had returned to speaking Gaelic.

"Is that all, my lord?" Aislinn became more hesitant again.

"Is what all?" Antef replied impatiently.

"Will I learn more about these spies when you are finished with them?" Aislinn queried.

"You have done your job," Antef responded with harshness. "What happens from here is none of your concern." He held up his free hand to stop Aislinn's interruption. "You forget yourself, Aislinn. You serve myself and our goddess. We decide what you can or cannot do. Your work is noteworthy, but you are not the only one who can do it."

Aislinn was now quite deflated. "I understand, my lord. As you wish."

"Good." Antef nodded as if that settled everything. "I may require your services to keep an eye on Iden. Our goddess is having doubts about him."

"Gladly, my lord," Aislinn said, perking up at being given a new assignment.

"See that you watch him, carefully," Antef said, as he too, left the tent.

* * *

"This is not looking good, Teal'c," O'Neill complained as they lay hidden in the brush near one of the mine's east entrances. Jaffa were everywhere; keeping watch, patrolling, directing workers here and there, and generally running the entire mining operation. The Colonel and Teal'c had been trying for several hours to get an up close and personal look at the mining set up. They had not succeeded. The sun was beginning to descend and would soon set. Maybe they would have better luck after dark. O'Neill was hoping that Daniel and Carter were acquiring more intel, as they had the advantage of blending in and seeing the key sites without arousing too much suspicion.

Teal'c had seen way too many Jaffa with Apophis' symbol on their foreheads to risk trying to impersonate one of Ammut's Jaffa; he thought he might be recognized. _Ah, the price of frame_, O'Neill thought with a weary sigh. O'Neill himself couldn't walk into the mine and pretend to be a miner. All the Aaruan workers had some kind of id chip imbedded in their necks that the Jaffa scanned to identify and keep track of the workers. O'Neill was also betting that those id chips could kill a misbehaving worker if that was a desired outcome. The Colonel was wondering how Daniel would get by without an implant. O'Neill also had a language problem; even though he was from tough Irish stock, he knew no Gaelic.

"I agree, O'Neill," Teal'c replied more somberly than usual.

"Let's head back to the ship and wait for Daniel and Carter's report," the Colonel spoke in a strained whisper. "Then we can decide what our next move is. They should almost be done for the day."

Teal'c nodded his agreement. "We should wait for the shift change and make our way to the ship as the crowd is leaving to return to the village," he suggested.

"Copy that," O'Neill responded.

It was only a few minutes wait until a whistle sounded and Aaruans began to pour out of the mine and down toward the village. As a particularly large group passed by O'Neill and Teal'c's position, they stealthily started to make their way back to the cargo ship. As they were sulking through the underbrush O'Neill heard loud weeping, followed by fierce yelling and thumping. Almost unconsciously, he made his way toward the sounds. Teal'c was troubled by his friend's diversion, but silently followed.

An old man had fallen by the wayside and could not get back up. Two Jaffa with Anubis' symbol on their foreheads were whipping him heedlessly. "Go do something, Teal'c!" O'Neill hissed from behind a large bur tree. "If I go, I'll give us away. You can do something without attracting too much attention." O'Neill couldn't stand there and watch the old man being beaten; it was sickening. _Damn it if Daniel isn't influencing my behavior,_ he cursed in his mind.

Teal'c hesitated only for a second. He thought it very unwise to interfere, but O'Neill had all but issued him an order, and Teal'c himself didn't like what was taking place. He had done it one too many times; he felt he had a lot to make up for. Helping one, feeble, old man, was always a step in the right direction.

"What is the meaning of this?" Teal'c commanded in his deep and intimidating voice, speaking in Goa'uld. He was still dressed in his full Jaffa armor, even though it had been decided it was too risky to for him to actively try and join in with Ammut's Jaffa. Hopefully it would serve him well in this instance; hopefully it would trick them. His attire, bearing, and presence were all official looking, at least to O'Neill.

It seemed to work. The Jaffa instantly stopped what they were doing and snapped to in front of Teal'c. They knew what the gold embossment meant. "This worker fell behind. We were instructing him in how foolish that is," one of the Jaffa spoke up.

"He is a weak, old man," Teal'c stated the obvious. "Why is it he is being put to work in the mine in the first place? He should be either imprisoned or left to die. Get on with your duties. I will deal with this myself."

"Yes, sir!" the two Jaffa said respectfully and gladly turned the old man over to Teal'c. Afraid of punishment themselves, they fled the scene quickly.

Once they had gone, O'Neill came out of hiding. "Nicely done, Big Guy. You sure have that intimidation thing down pat," he commented glibly. Then he knelt down next to the forlorn figure on the ground and offered him some water from his canteen.

"We should not stay in our current position, O'Neill," Teal'c warned. "We need to leave this area."

"Agreed, but we should take him with us," O'Neill replied. "I don't feel good about leaving him out here to just be beaten up again by the next Jaffa patrol to come along."

"You both speak the 'Old Tongue'", the old man suddenly spoke in English with a gravelly voice. He was bloodied and bruised, but he still had a kick to him. "I haven't heard it spoken in a very long time. It is nice to hear. Thank you for your mercy."

O'Neill and Teal'c exchanged shocked looks with each other. This was an unexpected turn of events. "Yeah, we speak the 'Old Tongue'," Jack replied. "And you're welcome. Can we help you get home?" the Colonel then asked.

"I'd be much obliged if you could," the old man said weakly now. "I'm Cadmen. I live not far from here. My grandson can give you food and shelter if you need it," he offered.

"We're good in that department, thanks," O'Neill told him. Then he and Teal'c each took one of the man's arms and lifted him up, helping him walk.

Something moved in the trees to their left. "We are being stalked, O'Neill," Teal'c announced as he tried to track the movement.

"By what?" the Colonel wanted to know. He felt a cold sweat break out on his skin.

"I do not know," was Teal'c unreassuring answer.

"Has the sun set?" the old man then asked.

Both Teal'c and O'Neill looked off into the west, and sure enough the sun had fully set and twilight had descended. "It looks like it. Why?" O'Neill queried.

"If this is the second week before the Harvest moons, then Ammut has let out some of her dearg-dul, and we are in great danger," the old man warned, but he spoke the most important word in Gaelic and neither Teal'c nor O'Neill knew what he was warning them about.

"What the hell is a Dea-whattachmalcallit?" O'Neil tried to ask.

"A creature that hunts by night and drinks blood to live," the old man said dramatically. "It preys on the sick and weak first, then moves on to fresher sources for it sustenance."

"Oh, crap," O'Neill cursed as realization dawned on him, "Daniel's vampires."

"Then the rumors are true," Teal'c stated. "Ammut's experiments are real."

Suddenly, a grayish figure shot out of the brushes in front of them. It looked human, but not at the same time. In the fading light it was hard to tell. It grabbed for the old man with astonishing strength and speed. O'Neill swore he saw fangs glisten in the creature's mouth. It had dark, stringy, dirty hair, and weird red-gold eyes. It was dressed in filthy, tattered rags. Teal'c tried to bring his staff weapon to bear on the thing, but it struck out and knocked the staff out of Teal'c grasp, which was not an easy task.

The creature hissed at them all and made to slash the old man's throat with its razor sharp fangs. O'Neill tried to get between its mouth and the old man. He only partially succeeded as the monster bit down on his shoulder. The old man screamed in terror and O'Neill screamed in pain. Teal'c threw himself at the creature, forcing it off O'Neil and onto the ground. Jack grabbed his P90 and fired away. It would attract unwanted attention, but he didn't care at the moment. He blasted the thing over and over; it stopped, but only for a moment. It finally snatched the old man and took off back into the brushes.

Then it, and the old man were gone. O'Neil groaned as his shoulder burned with pain from where the creature has sunk its teeth into him. It really hurt and he was bleeding quite badly. "Well, that went well," he said sarcastically as he just continued to sit there numbly on the ground.

"You are seriously injured, O'Neill," Teal'c commented gravely. "We must get you back to the Tel'tak. You weapons fire may bring a Jaffa patrol as well."

"Right," O'Neill said sluggishly. He was starting to feel dizzy. What had that thing done to him?

As if on queue a squad of about a dozen Jaffa appeared out of the trees and had them surrounded. "This just keeps getting better and better," O'Neil said bitterly.

"Tol'nak was right, it is the Shol'va Teal'c," a large and bulky, blonde headed Jaffa said. "Ammut will be pleased that we have captured this traitor and his Tau'ri conspirator."

O'Neill felt himself be zatted with a Zat weapon and Teal'c was soon to follow after. Blissfully, unconsciousness came to him and the pain in his shoulder was gone. This had not gone according to plan; not one little bit. But then, what SG-1 mission ever really had?

TBC

**Ya gotta let me know what you think about this chapter. It is kind of setting up what is to come. To read is human; to review is divine. LOL!! Thanks!!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Stargate. That honor goes to MGM Home Entertainment and its affiliates. I'm only writing for my own enjoyment and hopefully the enjoyment of others. I'm not making any money off of this. My original characters are the only thing I claim as mine. No copyright infringement is meant. Thanks.**

**A/N: This chapter will take the story up to where I began it, with Daniel waking up in a cold, dark, and wet place, hearing an inhuman growling, and thinking he was a goner. In the next chapter I will continue on from what will now be the present and go on through the rest of the story. You pronounce the name Ciara as "keera". Please read and review. I am a sucker for feedback. :)**

**Thanks to my new beta reader Robin and Marian 4ever. She is an angel for taking on the job, and she's good at keeping me on track. Enjoy!!**

**Chapter 7**

Jack O'Neill came back to consciousness with a fierce headache. His shoulder felt like it was on fire; it hurt so badly. He fully expected to wake up in a six by six cell. It didn't take the Colonel long to remember what had happened to him and Teal'c. Instead, Jack found himself lying on a huge, black bed, surrounded by soft, gold, fluffy pillows. He had been stripped of his BDU jacket, and his weapons, his boots, and his hat were gone as well. He still had his black T-shirt and BDU pants on, but the right sleeve of the shirt was ripped in half. A bandage was wrapped around his upper arm and shoulder, covering the wound the bloodthirsty creature from the woods had given him.

He felt fevered; too warm. His head was pounding and his shoulder continued to burn with pain too. Basically, he felt like crap; crap that had been run over by a semi to be more precise. Where was Teal'c? Was the big guy all right? Why was he, himself, being allowed to be resting in a bed, when he should have been rotting in a prison cell?

"Ah, the Tau'ri warrior is awake," a deep, but very feminine voice caught his attention.

Jack tried to get his eyes to focus on the form that seemed to becoming toward him. He felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath him when he finally saw the Goa'uld he assumed must be Ammut. The human host she had chosen was exquisite. She had long, black, Egyptian-like plated hair and bronze colored skin. She had the bold eye make up that had marked the ancient Egyptians too. It made her eyes look almond-shaped and very large. They were the darkest brown he'd ever seen. She reminded O'Neill of the Pharaoh's mistress from the _Mummy_ movie. What was her name…? Oh, yeah, Anck-su-namun; that was who she looked like. He forgot to breathe for a moment and just stared at her scantly clad, womanly form.

Ammut was dress in a black, mesh-like dress that showed of her assets to the hilt; her curves, her legs, her back, and her beautifully dark skin. O'Neill was totally enchanted by her, but naturally so. She was ten times the beauty Hathor had been and most of that had been because of some weird pheromone thingy. Ammut was just a stunning woman, period. She didn't need tricks or chemicals; this woman just oozed sexuality by just being a gorgeous female. The Goa'uld always seemed to choose only the most exotic of beautiful people to be their hosts.

"How are you feeling, Colonel O'Neill?" she asked him in that deep, mechanical voice all Goa'uld seemed to have. No matter how she looked on the outside, she was still a snake on the inside; he had to remind himself of that. He wasn't shocked that she knew his name; most of the Goa'uld seemed to be up on SG-1.

"Like crap," he managed to hiss out; his voice very weak.

He saw Ammut smile a sly grin. "I imagine you feel much worse than that, O'Neill," she told him smugly. "You've been bitten by a dearg-dul, and even now its poison is infecting your bodily systems. If it goes unchecked, you could become one of them, or just simply die. A bite doesn't always result in a change, but there is always that chance."

_Is she trying to scare me to death or just let me know the reality of the situation? _O'Neill wondered to himself. He was betting it was the former. This Goa'uld had a sadistic streak in her, just like many of the others he'd met. "Thanks for the FYI," he replied as sarcastically as his pain would allow him to sound.

Ammut came and sat by his prone form on the bed. She felt his forehead and shook her head. "Your body temperature is steadily rising. That is not a good sign," she informed him. Her hand caressed his cheek, and she combed her fingers through his damp hair. Despite it all, her touch was cool and felt nice. "It doesn't have to happen to you, O'Neill," she now purred at him.

"What?" he inquired quietly.

"I can stop it from progressing and return you to a state of perfect health," she said seductively, still caressing his cheek.

"What's the catch?" he demanded, but without much force behind it.

Ammut seemed to study him for a minute. Then she ran her hand through his hair again. Jack tried not to enjoy the sensation, but it was such a sweet contrast to the pain that he couldn't help it. "Tell me why you are here and how you found out about my operation," she finally let the other shoe drop.

O'Neill shut his mouth stubbornly and tried to look defiantly at Ammut. From the amused smile she gave him, he assumed he had failed. "Such a little child," she commented with a light laugh. "For some reason I find that an endearing trait in you. Most of those who defy me risk bringing my wrath to bear on them, but not you, at least not yet."

"Give it time," O'Neill said, trying to put more volume into his voice. "I'm really good at pissing everybody off, eventually."

Ammut laughed right out loud at his statement this time, a real, genuine laugh. "I do not doubt that you are, Colonel O'Neill, but for now you are a nice, refreshing change of pace. I have broken the Aaurans so completely that they no longer provide me with any real sport. But, you," she said, running her hand down his chest, "you are still full of willfulness, and that I find very appealing."

What the hell was going on here? Was this Goa'uld coming on to him? Jack didn't like that idea at all. "Listen lady, either torture me or kill me, because I'm not giving you any information. Using your feminine wiles isn't going to work either. You can go to hell!" O'Neill was using all the bravo he had left, but he was sounding like a whining child. Pain just sucked sometimes.

"Sokar was the one who sent people to hell," Ammut said after her laughter at Jack's ridiculousness subside. He was attempting to seem so tough, but he was too weak to pull it off effectively. "That was his chosen persona. I'm a different kind of devil. I don't lock people away in prison like he did to suffer in isolation. I turn people into monsters and demons to do my bidding, and let them cause suffering for all."

Jack was horrified at how causally she admitted what she was, or what she wanted to be portrayed as. Ammut wasn't finished yet, "I was the punisher of the gods; the one who carried out the judgments of Osiris. I'm the devil that even Sokar was afraid of." Her lips were positioned right by Jack's ear now. He shivered at her close proximity and at her words.

"You'd like to see me turn, wouldn't you?" he suddenly asked, realizing her true nature.

"Oh yes, O'Neill," she breathed heavily in his ear. "I would take great pleasure in making you into one of my creatures."

He made a movement to get away from her, to put some distance between them. It only caused to make him dizzy and writhe in pain; in fact, it was so intense, he even cried out. He had never felt anything like this before; it was like he was burning up from the inside out.

"Shhhhh," she cooed to him as she took him into her arms, fully joining him on the bed. "I can make it all go away. Just tell me what I want to know. You don't have to become one of my demons, yet. I also know how to reward with pleasure those who serve me well."

"Save it for someone who cares," O'Neill spat and instantly regretted the effort it took. His body spasmed as his blood seemed to become a raging bonfire. He grimaced and moaned in agony.

Ammut cradled him more, her skin like a cooling douse of water on his skin. "If you think your pain in unbearable, think of what I will do to your comrades; Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, and Teal'c. I could have you watch them suffer the most horrific of transformations."

The knowledge that Ammut had captured Daniel and Carter wasn't lost on O'Neill, despite his condition. He wanted to rip this Goa'uld's heart out, but he was helpless to do anything. "Or better yet, once you've crossed over, I could let you tear your own team members apart yourself. That would be most delightful." Jack then felt her lips on his forehead. This was the worst form of torture he'd ever experienced. On the one hand Ammut was vicious and tormenting him to the extreme, and on the other, she was tender and comforting. It was as confusing as hell. His mind and body didn't know how to reconcile the two polar opposite experiences.

"I'll make it very easy for you, Colonel," she whispered in his ear again, sugary sweet. "Was it the Tok'ra who sent you here? Is your team alone, merely trying to gather information? A simple yes will do. Then I will help you."

Jack fought within himself to say nothing, but he didn't want his team to be made into vampires or something worse. Hell he didn't either, but he couldn't give into the enemy. He knew that Ammut would probably do it anyway, but her offer of relief was too tempting to resist. Now that thought took him aback. He should be able to withstand this; something was off. Ammut must be doing something to him; controlling him because the, "Yes," came out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"There now that wasn't so hard now was it?" she said softly, letting her lips brush his ear and then his cheek. "I will heal you. There is still time for some anti-venom and a pleasant, regenerating sleep in a sarcophagus to cure you. You will see how bending your will to mine can be rewarded."

Jack almost sobbed as she pulled away from him to summon attendants to do as she had said for him. That snapped him back to reality. What the hell was wrong with him? Ammut repulsed him, but he craved her cool and soothing touch. Maybe she _did _have some sort of trickery deal going on here, like Hathor had, or was it whatever he was infected with, making his mind weak?

As Jack felt a needle stuck in his arm and felt himself placed on a stretcher-like device, he cursed himself for his weakness. Ammut had known exactly what she was doing and got exactly what she wanted. He had to pull himself together and fight whatever power Ammut was trying to have over him. She would not get to him a second time; he would make sure of that.

* * *

Carter paced the room she had been placed in. It was more a set of rooms actually, like guest quarters. Why she was in here was as good as guess as any to her. She and Daniel had been separated once they had been ringed up into Ammut's mothership. He was led off down one hall and she was led of down another. A mean looking Jaffa with dark hair and skin had informed her that Antef would arrive shortly to interrogate her. That gave Carter a hint of relief. It seemed he wanted to talk with her, alone. She hoped that meant good things, if the Tok'ra operative was still on their side. His act as a minor Goa'uld had either been Oscar-worthy material, or he had turned to the dark side.

The rooms Carter was in were colored in reds and blues. She could see that the Aauran night had descended outside a small window down at the far left. There were chairs and couches scattered throughout the room with tables of differing sizes as well. The room seemed to branch off toward the back into what must be a bedroom. Carter had tried to sit on a comfy-looking, country blue colored loveseat, but her nerves had her right back up and pacing the floor.

The Major was trying to recall anything and everything she could about Antef and Kemet from the flashes she had from Jolinar's memories of them. She didn't have the assistance of a Tok'ra/Goa'uld memory device to aid her, but the feelings that had stirred at seeing them were almost strong enough to manifest some memories of them for her. Carter knew they had been very close friends; maybe more. Jolinar and Rosha had known them before Martouf and Lantash and had worked with them on many assignments.

The door hissed open and there they were. Carter was again struck with overwhelming feelings of familiarity and warmth. Jolinar hadn't known Kemet with facial hair, but the dark half beard and thin moustache fit him well. "Ammut has captured your fellow spies," he said by way of greeting, but using only his host, Kemet's, voice, not that of the symbiote. "Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are now her prisoners. You, I have learned, are Major Samantha Carter." He also spoke in English to her.

"Are the others all right?" she couldn't help but ask, trying not to let his wandering gaze upon her distract her.

"For now," he said cryptically. Then he suddenly changed his demeanor and tone. "I feel I know you. Have we met somewhere before?" It was asked tentatively.

Carter took a deep breath and chose to tell him everything, as she took a seat on the blue couch. She had to see where he stood. "In a manner of speaking," she began. "I was a temporary host to a Tok'ra named Jolinar of Malkshur."

Kemet visibly blanched at the mention of Jolinar's name. He had not been expecting her to say that. "A temporary host?" he then queried, worry evident in his tone now.

"She died saving my life," Carter explained quickly. "She was on the run from a Goa'uld assassin and had to switch bodies several times. I was the last host she took. Rather than let me die, she sacrificed herself to keep me alive."

"So Rosha is dead as well?" he inquired softly. His face had gone very still, and his eyes seemed to brim with tears.

Carter swallowed a lump in her throat. "Yes. I'm so sorry," she said, at a loss to say anything else.

Kemet finally came into the room and sank down on a light red colored, straight-backed chair. "How long were you a host to Jolinar?" he finally asked.

"Not very long," Carter told him. "She didn't mean to use my body against my will, but she was desperate. Every impression I got from her was filled with a sense of goodness though."

"She and Rosha were extraordinary beings. Her selfless sacrifice for another does not surprise me," he announced with a small smile.

"I take it you two were good friends?" Carter was now the one asking questions.

Kemet nodded and said, "The best of friends. At one time I thought we would be mates, but her heart did not belong to me." His tone sounded very sad to Carter.

"Martouf and Lantash came along," she guessed.

"Yes, they did." Kemet's voice now had a bitter edge to it. "They made a connection to them both that I – we could not."

Carter had the distinct impression that Kemet and his symbiote Antef had never quite gotten over Jolinar and Rosha's rejection of them as a mate, but he seemed genuinely saddened at hearing of their deaths. "I guess since Jolinar died inside of me and dissolved into my body, I still carry a part of her with me; a part that recognized you and Antef. You wondered if we had ever met, so I'm assuming that you must have felt that part of her in me," Carter said talking very fast.

"It seems so," was all Kemet replied with. He continued to stare at Carter for a long time, searching her eyes with his. "She _is_ a distinct part of you somehow. I can almost taste her throughout your body," he finally spoke again, but this time it was Antef's deep, mechanical sounding voice coming through his host.

That last statement made a cold dread run down Carter's spine; it was almost too personal. She didn't know this man or his symbiote; Jolinar and Rosha had. Suddenly, he was beside her on the couch, invading her personal space. His hands grabbed her face and made her look him strongly in the eye. "I can smell her essence in you," he whispered. "It always was very intoxicating."

Carter broke his grip and got up off the couch; it was just a little bit too much. Once she was standing a few feet away, she said, "I'm not her, okay? She died. I'm not her." She was trying to be calm, but this whole past lives thing was really disconcerting to her. She was feeling emotions that were not hers, and it confused her.

"I apologize, Major Carter," he said still in Antef's voice. "I did not mean to disturb you. It has just been so long since I had any contact with either Jolinar or Rosha. We were madly in love with them, but never got the chance to tell them. It is an old grievance; one I should not take out on you." He stood and gave her a slight bow.

"What happens now?" Carter found herself asking.

"I am, unfortunately, in no position to help you or your associates," Antef informed her. "I am not longer in the service of the Tok'ra. I'm serving Ammut purely for my own reasons. I bear you no ill will, but do not look to me for help."

Carter wanted to balk at his statement. His words and actions were so contrary Jolinar's memories of him. "You won't help us escape?" she questioned dubiously.

"No, I won't," was his cool answer.

"Not even for the sake of Jolinar's memory?" Carter pressed.

Antef's split Kemet's mouth into a wicked grin. "Especially not for Jolinar's memory," he said.

"I thought you bore me no ill will?" Carter asked, confused now.

"You as Major Carter, I don't, but the part that is Jolinar, I do," he rationalized. "I would let her and Rosha rot here too. They spurned my affection, after years of friendship. I loved them so deeply that there aren't words to describe it. Now that love has turned to hate. And I like the power I have now. I'm not going to risk all I've worked for you the likes of you."

The Major's shock was raw. This Tok'ra _had _turned; he was a Goa'uld now. He had let himself become corrupted by jealousy and hate, along with power and glory. "Do you really mean that?" she demanded. "Because the feelings that I recall from my time with Jolinar are nothing but good ones toward you; warm, kind, and full of deep caring. She trusted you; looked up to you. You can't betray all that."

Antef grew silent and hung his head. It was Kemet that spoke next. "And we her, Major, but she wounded us so completely by rejecting our love, that we have never fully recovered from it. It has eaten away what we once were. All we have is what we have now in the service of Ammut."

"Please don't turn you back on me and my friends, Kemet," Carter implored, trying one last time to get through to him; looking for any good that he might still possess. "You're our only hope in getting out of here alive."

"I'm sorry, Major Carter," he responded soberly now, "but you hope in vain." With that said, he walked to the door and prepared to leave. "An escort with come take you to Ammut. She has many questions for you. It would be wise that you answer them and spare yourself her wrath." Then he was gone, and Carter now knew where this Tok'ra stood. Unfortunately, he was not on their side.

* * *

Daniel's screams echoed down the entire hallway from the prison cell he was in. A large Jaffa with short, blonde hair and bearing the symbol of Anubis was cruelly and mercilessly jabbing him with a Goa'uld pain stick. The three-pronged, rod-like weapon was literally electrocuting his insides. His mouth and eyes glowed like they were consumed in fire, reflecting the excruciating pain he was experiencing. This Jaffa seemed to get a kick out of applying the pain stick to Daniel's neck and rib area. Daniel was already in great pain from the beating that Aislinn had given him, so the pain stick magnified those injuries a hundred times.

After what seemed like hours, the Jaffa let up and allowed Daniel drop to the cold floor of the prison cell. He hadn't asked Daniel one question, just tortured him. As Daniel lay there trying to get oxygen into his lungs, he winced; it hurt to even breathe. He was nauseated and thought he was going to throw up. He hadn't eaten in hours, so there probably wasn't much to bring up, but he still felt incredibly sick to his stomach.

The door to the cell clanked loudly open, and Daniel heard the click of high-heeled shoes. He was lying on his stomach with his face flat on the ground. He turned it to look up at the new presence in the room, but instantly regretted the move. He moaned as stabbing pain pounded into his head.

"It seems you have softened him up well, Go'lek," a deep, feminine voice told the Jaffa.

"I have done as you have ordered, my goddess," the Jaffa replied curtly, standing at strict attention.

Daniel then felt a hand run through his short hair to grab a handful of it roughly and haul him halfway upright to look up at a dazzling, dark haired, Egyptian-looking woman. He figured it had to be Ammut. "I'm very displeased with your subterfuge, Dr. Jackson. Trying to infiltrate the Aaurans was not a wise thing to do. Your punishment will be very severe I'm afraid. I'm going to make you an example for the other members of your little team. They will see the result of what happens to those who defy me," her tone was like ice, and she was talking with the symbiote's voice.

"Haven't you tortured me enough?" Daniel managed to ask in a choked whisper.

"My dear, Dr. Jackson, I haven't even begun to torture you," she informed him with smugness in her eyes and smile. "And I don't care if you are willing to tell me everything or not. I don't think you would whatever I did to you. I have another well to draw from for the information I want. It is a much richer source of what I want than you are. Your Colonel O'Neill is so much more fun to play mind games with at the moment. But I do need to show him what a queen of demons is capable of to make him more malleable in my hands. You are the perfect tool do help me accomplish that task."

Daniel was gripped with fear, like he was caught in the hand of giant that was going to crush the life out of him. What was this sadistic Goa'uld going to do to him to try and bend Jack to her will? What was she doing to Jack, and why? "You're right, you sick, twisted freak," he somehow found the strength to spit the words at her. "I won't tell you a damned thing. In fact, I'll find a way to bring justice down upon you for all the misery and suffering you've caused the people of this world, and probably countless others." Daniel was totally serious in what he said, and he knew that if he did ever make it out of here alive, he would do just as he said, somehow.

"Brave words, doctor," Ammut replied with a harsh laugh. "I must say that I do like the Tau'ri spirit. Your people have been too long without a god to put them in their place, but it is a true pleasure to have a new group to crush under my boot heel."

"Enjoy it while it lasts, Ammut, because it will all come crashing down around you," Daniel retorted, using the last of his strength to do so.

Ammut yanked savagely on his hair. "I will only tolerate so much insolence, you little maggot," she hissed back at him. "Your suffering will know no bounds. I will throw you in with one of my creatures; one that has been denied sustenance for a long time. It might tear you apart, or it might savor you slowly not knowing when it will be able to feed again. I'm hoping for the later, and if that happens, then you will turn, and you will be come one of my demons. I will steal your will and along with it, your soul. All of what you are will belong to me."

Even though Daniel's energy was spent, he still felt cold, bitter fright wash through his body and leak out his pores at Ammut's description. He struggled against her hold on his hair and tried to rise. The fear then changed to anger, and a last ditch effort at defiance drove him forward as adrenaline fueled his body. His sudden action to get away took Ammut by surprise, and she left go of him and backed up. It didn't take her long to recover, however, and she struck out at him with a Goa'uld ribbon device on her right hand.

Daniel was thrown several feet back through the cell and into one of its hard, metal walls. His head struck it first with most of the force behind it. His saw white spots before everything went black for him. He didn't register the rest of his body hitting the wall or the all-consuming pain it caused him; he had lost consciousness.

Ammut was huffing in fury at the prone Dr. Jackson. "So much for your self-righteous sense of justice, you little cur," she growled. "You will experience the wrath and punishment of a goddess of devils. Throw him in the pit and let Ciara eat him alive," she then ordered Go'lek, who was standing at the ready with a staff weapon. He had been prepared to defend his goddess if it came to that, prompted by Daniel's futile struggle.

"Yes, my lady," he responded obediently, as Ammut swept out of the cell.

Go'lek, staff weapon still in one hand, picked up Daniel around his waist with the other. His superior strength let him carry the unconscious doctor out of the cell and down the hall to a ring room one-handed. The various creatures Ammut created and employed in her service were not kept on the Goa'uld mothership for safety reasons. They were housed out back behind it, using natural caves deep in the ground as prison cells and cages. Enclosures were built over them to hold the creatures inside with thick naquadah locks on them.

The most terrifying and disturbing of sounds came from down in the pits, as Go'lek made his trek in among them. Snarls, hisses, growls, screams, panting, moaning, and yowling filled his ears, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He hated this containment area. Ammut had quite the collection of freakish aberrations locked up in these pits. Things created out of her diabolical experiments to design horrific monsters made to fulfill her most heinous punishments. For one split second the Jaffa warrior felt sorry for the human he carried under his arm, but the pity faded quickly. Pity was a weakness Ammut wouldn't permit or stand for in any way.

Go'lek dropped Daniel on the ground near one of the pits that was located furthest back in the containment area. The dearg-dul or "red-blood feeder" that inhabit this pit hadn't been feed in months, yet she was still alive and extremely dangerous. Ciara had, at one time, been Ammut's favorite creature, treated as a loyal pet, but over the centuries she had grown more and more independent and defiant. Ammut had to punish her way too often to regain control over her. The Goa'uld was close to destroying Ciara all together, but the desire to break her and make her service the demon goddess again was more tempting to Ammut. She would win this contest of wills with her star creation. Once, Ciara had been the perfect torture device, the perfect killer, and Ammut was bound and determined to make her that once again.

This was not the first time Ammut had denied Ciara the blood she needed to give her strength and agility, and actual life itself. This was the first time; however, that Ammut had gone so long without supplying the dearg-dul with nourishment. It was both surprising and pleasing to Ammut that Ciara had survived this long. Ammut knew she had been driven into the depths of madness because of the lack of what her supernatural body needed. The Goa'uld knew just how weak Ciara was. She would not be able to resist the tender morsel that Dr. Jackson would represent to the starving vampire. Ciara would either gorge herself on his blood, or take a little at a time and try to conserve and ration it. It all depended upon how much control Ciara really had over her insatiable thirst for blood.

Ammut would rather have Ciara take her time with Jackson, to cause him more pain, but she was torn with the desire to have Ciara be at the point where she had totally lost control over herself. Ammut would also love to see Ciara rip Jackson apart and bath in his blood. Only time would tell which outcome would manifest itself. Either way, Ammut figured she was getting what she wanted in the end.

Go'lek had to do this quickly. The dearg-dul was very weak, but still there was a chance when the pit door was opened that she would spring up at him with preternatural speed. The Jaffa undid the lock with his security code and the cage door made a popping sound as it was released. He quickly grabbed Daniel and tossed him into the pit. He then resealed and locked the door.

"It seems our goddess had decided to show you a little mercy," he shouted down to the dearg-dul. "You should be grateful for it."

Silence greeted his remarks. Go'lek shrugged his shoulders, and then walked away without a second thought about Daniel or the dearg-dul. What happened now didn't concern him; he'd done as he was told, and that was all that mattered to him.

TBC

**What do you think? What will happen to poor Daniel? Drop me a line and let me know if the story is still any good. Thanks.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Stargate. That honor goes to MGM Home Entertainment and its affiliates. I'm only writing for my own enjoyment and hopefully the enjoyment of others. I'm not making any money off of this. My original characters are the only thing I claim as mine. No copyright infringement is meant. Thanks.**

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting for this story. I'm writing quite a few at one time, and this one seems to keep falling to the bottom of the pile. I go through times of "lack of inspiration" too. I like writing this story, but it's just taking longer than I thought it would.**

**This chapter deals with Daniel being thrown into Ammut's creature's cell and the creature's reaction to this event. Then I switched back to Daniel's point of view, so I used a horizontal line to show a break when that occurs; just to keep things straight. The last part of the chapter let's readers know what happened to good old Teal'c. Now the story is moving forward and is different than from before, when I started with Daniel waking up in a dark, cold, and wet place, and then going back thirty-six hours. Those thirty-six hours have been accounted for, and so the story moves along in present time. I hope that makes sense. :) Oh, and remember that Ciara's name is pronounced "kee-ra" or "key-ra".**

**Please let me know what you think about this chapter. I only got like one or two reviews last chapter and that was really sad and kind of discouraging. :( I live for feedback; it is half of the reason why I write. All I ask is just a few lines to let me know what people think. You would make my day, really. Thanks to those of you who do review. You rock around the clock!!!**

**Thanks to ****Robin and Marian 4ever for once again coming to my aid and beta reading for me. She is just awesome!!! Now enjoy.**

**Chapter 8**

She listened intently as someone above unsecured the lock on her cell door. Everything in her screamed to make a dash for it, but she was so weak. She could only sit there in the furthest corner of her cage. She watched in utter fascination as a body dropped from the open cell door to land just a few yards away from her. She heard its heartbeat, strong and steady; heard the blood gushing through its veins, like an undammed river flowing through a lush forest. Her thirst seized hard upon her, bringing her up on her knees, into a low crouch.

For what seemed like a very long time, she stayed that way listening in the dark. She ignored the voice from above that shouted something down at her in Gaelic. All she could concentrate on was the heartbeat and the singing of blood. She was so hungry; her body craved it so badly, but she didn't want to kill again. She had taken so many lives to sustain her own wretched one that she couldn't bear to take another. Her mistress was so displeased with her change of heart. The instinct and raw need to feed was almost overwhelming, filling her with a deep ache. She couldn't hold out much longer, not with fresh blood in the cell.

When the body on the ground stirred, she couldn't help the growl of anticipation that escaped her lips. Her predatory eyes allowed her to see perfectly in the dimly lit cell. She saw that the body was a young male human, dressed in typical Aaruan brown leather garb. He had been tortured, but was still very warm and alive. She licked her lips as the excitement at tasting his sweet nectar washed over her. She felt her fangs lengthen in expectation, and her eyes glowed a reddish-yellow color. The young man had a hard time coming around and seemed very confused. He was in obvious pain; that kicked her excitement level up another notch. Now she growled more gutterly, with more volume and feeling behind it.

She could literally taste his fear as he began to realize he was not alone here in the cold, dark, and dank cell. The fear was intoxicating, making her almost frenzied. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to rush forward and tear the young male apart; she wanted his blood so terribly. But as she watched him, something about him made her hesitate. He had an aura of light around him; something that puzzled her. That usually meant the person was extraordinary in some way; as if their chi was telling her they were a noble person. She snarled loudly in frustration, torn between her need and her conscience. She noticed the young man startle at the noise she made. His fear increased and called to her with such force that she moved forward until she was just a foot away from him.

He backed away from her toward one of the walls of the cell; she followed. Then he spoke, not in Gaelic like she would have expected, but in the 'Old Tongue'. "Please, please don't kill me! Please!" he begged.

It took her a moment to fully comprehend what he had said. At first his words were just sounds, but then the shock of hearing the 'Old Tongue' language pushed her nearly uncontrollable bloodlust back just a bit. It made her stop inches from him and pull back to study the young man. He seemed just as surprised as she was that she had halted her motion toward him.

* * *

Daniel couldn't believe what he was seeing; although it was dark, his eyes were adjusting a little to the gloom. He'd been expecting a big, ugly brute of a creature to come after him when he heard the growling and snarling; instead, he saw a petite woman. She was filthy; probably from being kept down here in a cage, but he could tell she would have had beautiful auburn hair if it were clean and combed. All she had on were dirty, torn rags that might have been a dress of some kind once upon a time. Her skin was covered in dirt and grime; it was oh so pale. Daniel could see the blue veins through her skin it was so white. Her eyes were what scared the crap out of him; they were yellow, tinged in red. She had a mouth full of sharp teeth, especially her top eye teeth; they were incredibly long and sharp. She was a vision out of a nightmare; a true portrait of a vampire if Daniel had ever seen one. He knew she wanted to drain him dry; he could see it in her eyes.

He couldn't help but beg for his life. He didn't want to die, and the words just spilled out of his mouth. She probably wouldn't understand him, being so animalistic and from an alien world, but he pleaded anyway. There was a moment's pause, and then she stopped mere inches from him. She was littler and shorter than he was, but right now as he was pressed into the cell wall, practically in a ball to protect himself, she towered over him.

Then she did something totally unexpected; she backed quickly away from him. He blinked at her and slowly uncurled himself from his fetal position. "Stay right where you are!" she growled in a much distorted voice. It was deep and very inhuman, but she spoke in English. She had understood him and was actually doing as he'd asked.

Daniel tried to stand, but his body was too exhausted from all the torment it had been put through. He tottered and fell on his butt. "I said stay where you are!" her words were harsher this time. "If you come any closer I will tear you apart. My control is virtually gone." Again, the words were little more than a growl.

Daniel was surprised at what she had said. She didn't want to hurt him. Her nature was compelling her to, but she was fighting it. This was unbelievable; he thought for sure he had no hope of survival. He still might not if she couldn't stay in control of her bloodthrist. He decided to try and talk to her; maybe it would help. He was hoping it would also help him take his mind off how much he hurt. His head felt like it was going to explode, and his whole body ached something fierce.

"I'm Daniel," he said. "Who are you?"

He watched as she closed her eyes and as a pained expression came over her face. She must be having to fight her instincts very hard. _Why is she? Why is she not giving into her need? Why isn't she slaughtering me?_ Daniel knew he shouldn't be questioning his temporary reprieve, but he couldn't help it; it was his nature to pick at things. She did not answer his inquiry, and he now noticed her starting to shake.

"Can I do anything to help you?" he suddenly asked, his compassionate side starting to override his fear.

Her inhuman eyes snapped open at his question and stared into his blue ones. He tried to meet her gaze as steadily as he could. "You really mean that, don't you?" her voice was a hiss now.

"Yes, I do," Daniel replied emphatically. "You're obviously attempting to not kill or hurt me, and for that I'm truly grateful. I want to be able to help you in return."

She actually gave him a small smile; it would have looked friendly if it didn't show her terrifying fangs so much. "I appreciate the sentiment, but there is nothing you can do for me, short of letting me feed on you. I don't want to, but my mistress hasn't allowed me to feed on anything for months now. I've caught a few rodents and small animals that somehow find there way in here, but they are not enough to curb my raging thirst."

"Ammut hasn't given you anything to sustain you in months?" Daniel queried incredulously.

"No, she hasn't," she told him with a now shaky voice. "And I can't bring myself to kill you." Then she collapsed, falling to the ground with a soft thud. Daniel totally forgot himself and ran to her aid. He spared no thought that she might tear his throat out. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving. He went to take her in his arms and comfort her.

"Get away from me, you stupid fool!" she snarled at him, but her strength was almost gone. She had used most of it to hold herself back. Her eyes fluttered closed again.

"You're dying aren't you?" Daniel demand of her, shaking her conscious again which put his own pain and agony out of his mind for the moment.

"Yes," she whispered now. "Don't worry yourself over me. I deserve this. It is better that I die than take yet another life. Just leave me be, Daniel," she said his name almost like his late wife Sha're had, pronouncing it Dan'yel. It touched something deep down inside his core. He couldn't let this woman – not creature – die like this. She wasn't the demon, he thought she would be. She had to have been a good person at one time and obviously wanted to be again. He wanted to make that possible for her; he wanted to save her.

"Is it possible for you to take just a little blood from me, to keep you from dying?" he asked of her. "You wouldn't have to take it all, would you?" Daniel gulped after he asked. He couldn't believe what he was doing, but something about her made him want to help her. Jack would have a fit if he knew what Daniel was doing.

She looked at him in shock and disbelief. "You would give yourself to me willingly?" she asked instead of answering his questions.

Daniel shrugged his shoulders out of nervousness. "Yeah, if it will keep you from dying," he said honestly.

"You do not know what you ask," she said very softly. "I do not know if I could stop before I killed you. I might take it all. But I thank you for your kindness." His aura seemed to glow brighter, a very gold color. He was, indeed, something special.

"Give it a try," he said, despite the extreme unease he felt at saying it. "Take enough to give yourself some strength, but not enough to kill me." He knew that it was possible she would, but he didn't care so much anymore.

"There is also the possibility that I could infect you," she informed him as her eyes threatened to close again. "A bite doesn't always turn you into a dearg-dul, but it can."

Daniel was afraid she would tell him something like that, but he wasn't going to take back his offer. Something told him that by helping this woman, he would be helping himself, his teammates, and the people of this planet. "I'll take the risk and chance it," he told her quietly. "Tell me your name first."

She gazed up at him in awe now. "It's Ciara," she said faintly.

"Well, Ciara, how do we do this? Will it hurt?" he inquired.

She made to sit up and he helped her; it took great effort on both of their parts. "If you don't fight me, and I can control myself, it can be very pleasant. I can roll your mind to make it feel good, if you let me."

"Roll my mind?" he wondered out loud.

"Bespell you; influence your mind and thoughts to make you enjoy it, rather than be hurt by it," she tried to explain.

"Sounds good to me," he said with false bravery.

"You're really sure about this?" she asked looking him in the eye again, searching for any hesitation. "I won't do it, if you really don't want me to."

Daniel tried to smile at her. "Just do it, before I lose my nerve," was all he said.

"Then relax and let the tension out of your body," she instructed, still keeping her eyes glued to his. Suddenly, Daniel was lost in her eyes, feeling warm and fuzzy in spite of the cold cell. His body and mind did relax in a floating, hazy sensation. He felt safe and secure looking into her alien eyes. She hesitated for a long time after that, deciding.

Finally, he felt her arms slide around him and pull him close. She brushed her lips across his cheek and ear, and then her mouth traveled down his neck to his pulsing jugular vein. Her lips were ice cold and made him shiver, but it was not an unpleasant sensation; it felt delicate and tingly. He then felt her fangs pushing into his skin. He thought it would hurt and that he'd wince, but the notion of tenderness and comfort enclosing his mind made them just slip in smoothly. It actually felt good and not bad or painful. He sighed in ecstasy as she began to draw his blood out of his body and into her mouth. The pull from her sent pleasurable waves through him. He found himself giving himself completely over to her influence.

Daniel didn't want her to stop; this was too nice and delightful for her to stop. He even uttered to her, "Please don't stop, Ciara; don't stop." She didn't, but only for a short time. She felt his heartbeat slow and knew she had to discontinue. His blood was so pure, so sweet and flavorful. It ran into her, filling her up, quenching her thirst. She wanted it all and was tempted to take it all, but at the last possible moment she forced herself to stop. Ciara had never had blood that was so delicious and powerful before. He was a rare vintage, and it took everything thing inside her that was good and moral to make her pull her fangs out and leave him be.

He clutched at her, trying to get her to bite him again. He was desperate not to lose the incredible sensations she had caused; he didn't want them to end. Somewhere deep inside his mind, a little voice whispered to him that this wasn't a good idea; in fact, it was downright dangerous, but right at that moment Daniel wasn't worried about it. Ciara was gentle in how she discouraged him, but very firm, and he could feel the preternatural strength she possessed. She had the ability to really damage him if she wished.

"I think I might have overdone it a wee bit," she commented, slightly worried at Daniel's reaction.

"What?" he asked, trying to get his mind back on track. He wasn't sure what Ciara was referring to.

"I was concerned that I'd hurt you," she attempted to explain. "My thirst was so fierce that I thought I might really cause you a lot of pain. To compensate for that factor, I allowed myself to release more pheromones and unleashed my telepathic abilities to fog your mind. I may have used a tiny bit too much."

"I can't believe you made it feel that exquisite," Daniel said, feeling extremely fatigued now. "Your abilities are astounding; right out of Earth legend and folklore. Will I be okay?" he then asked, concern finally hitting him.

Ciara looked at him carefully, as if Earth didn't compute with her. Then she replied, "I think so. I'm sorry. Sometimes the enthrallment can be permanent, but that usually only happens to the weak-minded. You don't seem like the weak-minded type," she told him. "I'm sorry," she repeated over and over again.

Daniel looked up at her now. Somehow he had ended up with his head in her lap, lying on the floor. "Don't be," he said in response to her apologies. "I've never felt anything quite like that. It was really enjoyable" He spoke the last part with a goofy grin. Daniel knew he should be terrified that she had so much influence over his thoughts and mind, but strangely he wasn't.

Ciara could have torn his throat out and let him experience all the agony accompanied with that act, but she had chosen to make it pleasurable and enjoyable instead. She had tried to put him at ease and cause him less stress. And now she was the one worried about her effect on him, instead of taking advantage of her power over him. For a vampire, she sure had a lot of compassion and mercy. Why he had offered to feed her in the first place, he didn't have a clue, but it obviously had been the right thing to do.

He studied Ciara's appearance once more. She was still in need of a serious bath and change of clothing, but his blood had restored her beauty. Her eyes were now very human eyes, and they were a lovely shade of emerald green. He skin was so rosy, it almost glowed, like she had been airbrushed. The veiny-look was totally gone. Her hair even seemed more vibrant, and her touch was considerably warmer than before.

"Who are you Daniel?" she then asked, running a hand through his short, sandy brown hair. "Where do you come from? You are not native to Aaru." The last was said as a statement, not a question.

"No, I'm not," he answered her, still feeling partially like he was drunk. "I'm from a planet called Earth. The Goa'uld know us as the Tau'ri. We came here to find out what Ammut was up to, and hopefully stop her from helping Anubis conquer the galaxy."

Ciara just stared at him in shock; his explanation was not the one she was expecting to hear. "I thought the Tau'ri were just a myth. I'd heard tales of your people, but never thought they - you - truly existed. It was told that the Tau'ri had been able to throw off the tyranny of the Goa'uld. It was my people's fondest wish to join ourselves with them and learn from their wisdom. But most of us never really believed the stories had any substance in reality."

"How is it that you can understand me?" Daniel continued with his fact finding. "I'm not speaking Gaelic or Goa'uld."

"From the earliest stories of our ancestors," Ciara told him. "In my training as a council leader, we were taught both languages of our progenitors; Gaelic and what has always been called the 'Old Tongue'. Some scholars even believed it to be the original language taught to my people from the 'Ancient Ones', who seeded our world."

Now it was Daniel's turn to stare, as he thought, _Did the Ancients really establish this colony of humanity here on Aaru? Could there be Ancient technology hidden here on this planet that could help us defeat Anubis? Is that why Ammut was really here; not just to mine naquadah, but to search for weapons the Ancients might have left behind? Could it be a piece of Ancient technology that's part of her new super weapon she's supposedly building?_ Daniel's head was now spinning with more and more questions and astounding possibilities.

He also didn't miss, despite his fatigue, pain, and enthrallment, the fact that Ciara had said something about being educated as a council leader. _Does that mean that at one time she had been a Druid? And what does that mean? Is that why she's been able to hold so tightly to her humanity?_ Then out loud Daniel said, "You were a Druid, weren't you?"

Ciara seemed surprised that he knew so much about her culture. "Yes," she now whispered. "I was a chieftain among my people; daughter, and granddaughter, of strong and powerful leaders. I was schooled in all ways of leadership, warfare, management, trade, and governing. I was taught much science and knowledge of nature. I was also blessed with the gift of healing."

"Gift of healing?" Daniel inquired with great curiosity now.

"My touch can heal and mend some types of injuries, but not all," Ciara said very quietly. "It was an ability that even my transformation into a monster didn't change. Ammut made me believe, falsely, for a very long time that I had lost my gift. It came as a great shock when it was accidentally retriggered from within me. It was one thing that broke her hold on me."

"Is it some form of Druid magic?" Daniel continued to ask his questions.

Ciara almost laughed at him, but bit her lip lightly to hold it back. "I see you've been told the same silly stories that this generation of Aaurans have been led to believe. It is not magic. The Ancients manipulated many of my people's bioelectrical chemistry to allow us to serve the rest of our people more effectively. The manipulation could be passed down to children. Both my mother and father had manipulated biochemistries. Mine just happened to manifest in a way to be a healer. The electromagnetic impulses within my body can stimulate human tissue to regenerate and become like new. It doesn't work with really severe injuries or all-consuming illnesses, but it has allowed me to help many of my people."

Daniel stared at her in more wonder and amazement. It was like the "Ancient gene" that some humans had to allow them to use Ancient technology. Then another thought occurred to him. "How long have you been a…," he couldn't bring himself to say vampire.

"A dearg-dul," she supplied for him.

"Yeah, a dearg-dul," he repeated, thinking it sounded like a much better word.

Ciara hesitate a long time before she answered him. "Nearly a millennia," she whispered.

Daniel was stunned. "You've been a vampire for almost a thousand years?!" he tried to exclaim, but it came out more like a squeak.

"Is that what the Tau'ri call creatures like me?" she asked, slightly amused now.

Daniel smiled sheepishly up at her, suddenly speechless at her beauty. The way she was gazing down at him, with big, green eyes, and a real grin was breathtaking. When he found his power of speech, he said, "It is one of many names among my people."

Ciara, for the first time, realized how handsome and attractive this man was. They way he looked at her; well, no one had looked at her like that for a long time now. At first she wanted to dismiss it as part of his enthrallment, but the depth of emotion in his blue eyes changed her mind. "Now that you've given me my strength back, let me repay the favor and heal some of your injuries," she suggested trying to not get lost in his beautiful eyes. Then she softly added, "And hopefully prevent any infection from my bite."

"That sounds like a good plan," he replied groggily. "Thank you, Ciara."

"You're welcome, Daniel," she said warmly. "But it should be _I_ who is thanking _you_."

With that said, she carefully laid Daniel's head on the ground and knelt over him from the side. She closed her eyes and ran her hands from his head down to his feet, and then back up again. She held her hands a few inches above him as she accessed her healing ability. Daniel felt like his whole body had gone to sleep, like the pins and needles feelings a person could get from restricted blood flow. His body tingled, and he experienced what almost felt like small electrical shocks. It didn't hurt, but it felt damn strange. Daniel looked to see blue sparks, or mini lightning bolts shooting out of Ciara's faced-down palms. His cuts, bruises, abrasions, broken bits, and burns started to disappear as his tissue regenerated from the electrochemical reaction Ciara was causing.

"How's that, Daniel?" she asked when she had finished and sat back on her heels.

"Much better," he said in awe. His pain and discomfort were gone, but he realized his fatigue was still there. "I'm still feeling wiped out though," he then told her.

"That will take good, old-fashioned rest and nourishment to overcome, I'm afraid," Ciara explained. "But at least your body won't have to expend extra energy to heal your injuries now, so your recovery should be quicker that way."

Daniel suddenly realized how hungry he was; he hadn't eaten in a long time now. Was it days? He needed a drink of water too. "How do I get anything to eat or drink?" he questioned, slowly trying to sit up. Ciara came to his aid and helped get upright.

"A Jaffa will come to check on what I've done or not done to you," Ciara answered after some thought. "I can make it seem like I'm trying to savor you, make your blood last me for a while. If that is the case, I may be able to convince the Jaffa to bring you something to make sure your last me for more than a day or two. Right now you should get some sleep. It will be the best thing for your body."

"What I would really like to do is get the hell out of here," Daniel confessed. "I'm not alone, Ciara. I have three friends that are in great danger too. Can you help me get them out of here?"

Ciara's face grew sad. "I'd like too, Daniel, but Ammut is very powerful and very cunning. I don't know if we'd be successful."

"We won't know unless we try, right?" Daniel attempted to sound encouraging. "You really don't want to be Ammut's prisoner and slave anymore do you?"

"No," she whispered, hanging her head down.

Daniel scooted closer to her. He took one of her hands in his and gently cupped her ethereal-looking face with his other hand. "Then let's work together and get out of here," he said firmly to her.

_Do I dare hope to escape the service of the devil goddess Ammut? _She wanted to, very much so. _Is it even possible, after so long?_ _Can this sweet man really help me?_ Ciara questioned herself. Then she realized he already had, in more ways than she could count, through his kindness and selflessness. His aura was not a bright now, but it still gave her the impression he was special, different than others she had come across.

"All right, Daniel," she responded, finally raising her eyes to his again. She was enjoying his hand's caress against her cheek. "I'll try and help you get out of here and find your friends."

"Thank you," he told her again. "And I promise to do everything in my power to help you and your people. We will break Ammut's hold over them." His conviction startled Ciara, and it overwhelmed her. She felt tears spring into her eyes. _This is too good to be true; after all these centuries has help really arrived?_ she found herself thinking.

Daniel noticed thin lines of red streak her face from her eyes. _Is she crying blood?_ he wondered. "Are you okay?" he asked concerned and indicated the red streaks.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine," she told him swiping at her eyes. "I don't produce normal tears any more. Sorry if it disturbs you. Your sentiments just touched me is all."

He helped her wipe the tears way. "You are so beautiful," he suddenly blurted out.

Ciara stared at him in astonishment. "How can you say that, when I'm a monster?" she inquired softly.

"I've seen my share of monsters," he informed her, "and you certainly are not one of them." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Trust me on this one," he said afterward.

"You are a treasure, Daniel, an absolute godsend," Ciara whispered. "My people are not forsaken after all." His touch and his lips were stirring feelings in her she had once thought dead and buried. His humanity was somehow reaching hers.

Daniel blushed weakly and almost passed out. Ciara caught him before he hit the floor. "Rest now, my friend," she cooed in his ear. "Then we can plan." Daniel's last sensations, before sleep and unconsciousness overtook him, were of Ciara settling his head in her lap again and stroking her hands soothingly through his hair. Her comforting presence allowed his mind and body to relax into a much needed recuperative sleep.

* * *

Antef and Kemet were struggling internally with themselves. _How could we have been so callous to Major Carter? How have we let our love for Jolinar and Rosha become so poisoned? Have greed and power really corrupted us so much?_ _Obviously they have. We've been at this game for hundreds of years now and where has it gotten us? Nowhere. Ammut will never trust us completely; that's just Goa'uld nature. But the Tok'ra will never allow us back into the ranks of our society either, would they? It appears that we have no place to belong and no place to run to._

That was why they were standing before Teal'c now, studying the traitorous Jaffa. Antef and Kemet were trying to find out more about the Tau'ri. If they had welcomed Teal'c, the people of the planet Earth might just accept them as well.

Teal'c had been tortured and beaten at Ammut's command. A pain stick had been used on him and good old-fashioned fists too. The big Jaffa had a split lip, black eye, and blood coming out of one of his nostrils. Antef had dismissed the Jaffa guarding Teal'c, feigning that he wanted time alone to additionally torture the shol'vah and revel in it. The Jaffa had smiled wickedly at each other. Antef was known to be brutal with prisoners, so they had no problem obeying his command and thought nothing unusual about it.

Kemet was the one who spoke to Teal'c in a hushed voice, sounding very human. "If we could help get you and your teammates out of here, would you take us with you?"

Teal'c blinked at the man in front of him; he had not expected this line of questioning. "And why would you desire to come with us?" the Jaffa asked warily.

"Let's just say that we've had a change of heart," Kemet told him. He and Antef kept replaying the conversation with Major Carter. It had deeply affected them, and it was causing them to rethink some things. The pleading look in the Major's eyes haunted them. They didn't like learning that they were losing their compassion. In other words, they didn't like what kind of monsters they had allowed themselves to become.

"Why should I trust the likes of you?" Teal'c inquired bitterly.

Kemet's eyes glowed as the symbiote took over. "You have no reason to Teal'c," Antef said, "but how else do you expect to get out of here alive. Ammut has her aim set to turn you into one of her mindless, unkillable Jaffa monsters. She feels it is a fitting punishment for a shol'vah."

Teal'c decided to ask one of his own questions to see where it got him. "And how does she mean to accomplish that task?"

"You don't think that the only reason Ammut is here is to mine naquadah do you?" Antef shot back at Teal'c. "Use that independent piece of gray matter in your head and figure it out."

Teal'c gave Antef a stoic expression, but inside he was racking his brain to follow the path Antef was cryptically revealing to him. "Anubis sent her here to search for and claim Ancient technology," Teal'c said as the realization hit him full force.

"Precisely, Teal'c," Antef said approvingly. "Ammut learned that this backwater planet was once an important Ancient repository for technology and knowledge. She has been sniffing around here for centuries, finding just enough items to keep Anubis happy. All the while she is propping up her own power base. The Aaruans themselves are bits and pieces of Ancient technology, at least some of them are."

Teal'c raised his eyebrows at Antef's confession. "And Ammut has found an artifact that can turn Jaffa into unstoppable killers," he stated instead of asked.

"Correct again, my Jaffa warrior," Antef replied. "She has found some kind of Ancient healing device that can rejuvenate damaged or injured tissue, restore the dead to life, and even animate non-living tissue. Anubis was so please with her find that he let her keep the device after he found a way to reengineer it. What he wants with it is a mystery, but it cannot be good."

"Isn't that the purpose of a Goa'uld sarcophagus?" Teal'c then asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yes and no," Antef answered, pacing in front of Teal'c now. "This is beyond what a sarcophagus is cable of, way beyond. After a Jaffa has been killed, Ammut uses the device to bring them back to life, but they are not truly alive. They are like shells of their former selves. They follow only the commands Ammut gives them without any will of their own. They truly are mindless, and it takes great effort to destroy them. They can get up and fight again and again, even if half of them has been blown away."

"I believe DanielJackson referred to these Jaffa as 'zombies'," Teal'c said thoughtfully.

"An apt description, I would say," Kemet now spoke to Teal'c, his eyes a luminous dark brown again. "I know we seem like Goa'uld, and maybe we have let ourselves become such, but we were once Tok'ra. We wish to be so again, and help defeat Ammut and Anubis. We know it is the right thing to do."

Taken aback by the emotion in Kemet's voice, Teal'c didn't quite know what to say. His mind was full of thoughts. _Have this human and symbiote come to their senses as I did when O'Neil showed me a better way? Can I truly trust them? What would such a deception accomplish, except to raise my hopes to only dash them mercilessly again? Maybe this is a way for Ammut to mentally torture me._ Either way, if he didn't act on this opportunity, he knew his friends were dead. Teal'c could not accept that; he would fight until the bitter end for them.

"I cannot give you the redemption you seek," Teal'c finally said to Kemet and Antef, "but I can help you start to make amends, if that is what is truly in your hearts."

The relief in Kemet's eyes was startling. "Thank you, Teal'c. Thank you for believing in us."

Teal'c merely gave him a head nod. He almost flinched when Kemet brought out a Goa'uld ribbon device. "Don't worry, my friend," Kemet reassured him. "I will not use this on you, but I must make it seem like I have been inflicting pain on you and not conspiring with you. Scream as if I am torturing you, and I will fire the device at the floor for sound effect."

It was now or never that for Teal'c to put his words of trust into action. As the device hummed to life, he cried out as if struck by it. Kemet, true to his word, didn't aim it at the Jaffa, but at the floor next to him. Teal'c moaned and groaned as if under its lash. After sometime, Kemet nodded at him and pretended to spit insults at him.

"Be ready for the signal," Kemet whispered, and then turned and left the cell.

Teal'c faked lying on his side in a huddled ball, in case any other Jaffa looked in on him. Kemet had not reshackled him, so when the time came, he could strike out and be free of this prison and go get his Tau'ri teammates.

TBC

**Okay, now is your chance to be generous this holiday season. Please leave a short, little review. What did you think???**


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